23 Sep, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

Work together to uproot militancy PM urges global community n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the world community to work together to uproot militancy and terrorism, and plug the sources of funds, arms and ammunition as well as moral and material support to militants and terrorists across the borders. “Terrorists have no religion, caste or creed. We must unite in our resolve to defeat and degrade them in all forms and manifestations. We have to identify the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism,” she said.

The prime minister made the call while delivering her speech in the 71st UN General Assembly (UNGA) general debate here on Wednesday. As previous years, she delivered her speech in Bangla. Sheikh Hasina also reminded all that she talked about terrorism and violent extremism last year as one of the two major global challenges of the time. “We see these menaces sweeping across borders. No country seems immune... no individual is beyond their target. The terrorists are killing now and often many innocent PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Barisal launch capsize toll rises to 24 Rahman Swapan, n Anisur Barisal Ten more bodies were recovered and a survivor died at a hospital yesterday as rescuers managed to pull up the sunken launch from the Sandhya River at Banaripara of Barisal, raising the death toll to 24. The sunken launch, ML Oishi, was salvaged around 8:30am, nearly 21 hours after it capsized at Dasherhaat Point.

Zakir Hossain, additional district magistrate of Barisal and head of the probe committee formed by the district administration, declared the end of the rescue operation around 11am. The magistrate also declared that each of the families of the dead victims would receive Tk10,000 as burial cost. Relatives, however, alleged that another eight were still missing. PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE

72km roads in Khulna turns unfit

Car free road in Banani by March

About 72 kilometres of Khulna roads have remained in dilapidated condition due to heavy rain and lack of repairs and maintenance. PAGE 6

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq has said at least one road will be announced as car free for a day in Banani area by March. PAGE 32

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses the 71st United Nations General Assembly general debate at the UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday FOCUS BANGLA

News

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

PM receives Planet 50-50 Champion and Agent of Change Award n BSS Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been conferred upon the "Planet 50-50 Champion" and "Agent of Change Award" for her outstanding contributions to women empowerment. The UN Women recognised the prime minister as “Planet 50-50 Champion,” while Global Partnership Forum handed over the “Agent of Change Award” to her at a high-level reception at the UN Plaza at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday evening. President of the Republic of Malta Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and First Lady of the United Nations Ban Soon-taek were also given “Planet 50-50 Champion” and “Agent of Change Award” along with the Bangladesh premier. UN Women Deputy Executive Director Laksmi Puri delivered the welcome address and read out citation of the awardees. UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and

of Bangladesh as the true agents of change. “This is a recognition for our women working in equal partnership with our men... I dedicate

these awards to the people of Bangladesh for having faith in my vision for change,” she said Sheikh Hasina recalled the memory of her father, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for raising her with that vision. “I believe sustainable future of our planet is a shared responsibility of our women and men. We’ve arrived at a time in our history when gender equality is no longer an aspiration, but a real possibility everywhere,” she said. The prime minister said that the path to women’s empowerment has not been easy, and would not always be smooth. “But, we must forge ahead with courage and determination,” Sheikh Hasina said that the cross-cutting gender agenda in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will give impetus to the development efforts. “I dream of a world where women’s rights will be respected by all, where all forms of violence and discriminations against women will be things of the past.” l

On the other hand, Ziaul Hasan, officer-in charge of Banariara police, admitted that the launches plying on the route were not fit, but they were silent over this issue for the sake of the passengers’ conveniences. On Wednesday, the launch plying on Banaripara-Swarupkathi route sank at Dasherhaat Point

around 11:30am. According to the survivors, the river stream created a strong whirlpool after a portion of the river bank eroded away. The launch capsized as the panicked passengers rushed to one side of the vessel. Superintendent of Police SM Akhtaruzzaman said that most of

the 60 passengers on the launch succeeded to swim to the shore as it had capsized near the Masjid Bari station on the river bank. Locals joined hands with fire fighters to rescue passengers of the launch that capsized Wednesday morning. However, strong current and river erosion had hampered the rescue operation. l

‘One Humanity’. Let’s work through our differences, and find common grounds to make pragmatic changes we wish to see in the world around us.” She said the UN provides a unique platform to do so. “Let’s renew our resolve to create an organisation of enduring relevance.” Noting that the world is now at a juncture, Hasina said all have the end of these scourges in sight. “There’re many creative and practical solutions in our hands. The amazing power of technology, ideas and global citizens make us imagine a ‘brave new world’.” About the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015, she said the political will behind the agenda needs to be translated into concrete and meaningful support for countries that are lagging behind. To catch up, Hasina said, the developing world needs access to transformative technologies. “The internationally agreed develop-

ment commitments for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) must be fulfilled to pave the way for their graduation. The Technology Bank for LDCs should be geared at promoting innovation and predictable resource flow.” In Bangladesh, she said, the government has already mainstreamed most SDGs into the national development plans. A platform under the supervision of prime minister has been created to coordinate and monitor the work. “Consultations are going on with the local governments, civil society, media and academia.” Listing various development activities in Bangladesh, she said it has experienced one of the fastest poverty reduction rates in the world with a modest resource base. “We’ve brought down poverty from 56.7% in 1991 to 22.4% today. “We’ve already graduated from the UNDP’s low human development category to medium, and also the World Bank’s lower-middle

income status.” Hasina said despite global recession, the export earnings grew by more than 3 times to $34.24 billion; remittance flow increased nearly three times; and foreign currency reserve jumped by 8.5 times from $3.5 billion to over $31 billion over the last seven years. During the same period, the power generation capacity increased by almost three times and foreign direct investment also rose by three times. “A key to our development strategy is our focus on addressing inequality through social security, decent work and financial inclusion. We allocate over 13% of our budget to social safety net spending, which is 2.3% of our GDP.” But, Sheikh Hasina said, the climate change threatens many of the country’s development gains. She said the landmark Paris Climate Agreement recognises the importance of adaptation, loss and damage, and climate justice. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receives the Agent of Change Award for her outstanding contributions to women empowerment in a high-level reception at the UN Plaza in UN Headquarters on Wednesday evening FOCUS BANGLA Global Partnerships Forum President and CEO Amir Dossal gave the closing remarks. “I feel humbled by these recognitions... I thank UN Women and

Global Partnership Forum for giving me this honour,” Sheikh Hasina said while accepting the award, The premier said termed the honour as recognition for the women

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Barisal launch capsize toll rises to 24 Yesterday the relatives of the missing victims were still waiting on the bank of the river alleging that the authorities had not operated the rescue operation properly. Though the authorities claimed that the launch had not been registered as a passenger-carrying vessel and had no valid route permit, locals say it was carrying passen-

gers on the route for many long and that there are more eight launches still plying on the route. Barisal Port Officer Mustafizur Rahman said: “The sunken boat was not a launch but a trawler, and it was plying on the route instead of another launch. “We are looking for the launch owner, Yusuf Daktar.”

Work together to uproot militancy people everywhere from the USA to Europe, Africa to Asia,” she said. The prime minister also laid emphasis on finding out the mentors, masterminds, abettors, financiers, arms suppliers and trainers of the terrorists and extremists, and taking strong action against them. “As a victim of terrorist attacks, I myself have a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to terrorism and violent extremism. Our government did succeed in disintegrating the homegrown terrorist groups, plugging their regular financing pipelines, and flushing out the regional operatives from our territory,” she said. Hasina said with the vicious rise of certain international terrorist entities, it appears some of the local fringe elements have drawn inspiration and managed to regroup and rebrand themselves. “Bangladesh, a unique country of religious harmony, experienced a grisly attack on July 1 when homegrown terrorists killed 20

people at a Dhaka restaurant. We had been able to rescue 13 hostages unhurt. “The horrific incident imprinted a deep scar on the hearts of Bangladeshi people. We’re now in a battle with this new wave of terrorism. We’ve undertaken massive programmes to awaken people against radicalisation and stand against militancy and extremism,” she said. Hasina mentioned that she had called for assistance from society and got unprecedented response. “Our women, youths, families and communities can be our vanguards in offsetting extremism and radicalisation. I’m confident, with our people’s resilience and support, we’ll make sure terrorists will have no place on our soil.” Talking about some challenges in the globalised world, she said there are also potential opportunities and benefits for all, only if all know how to manage it right. “We’re all gathered here to serve our

News

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Sordid tale of Banishanta sex workers Jamil Khan, back n Mohammad from Mongla Marjana (not her real name), was making her lunch at her two-room house in Banishanta Brothel in Mongla upazila, Bagerhat when this correspondent first met her. “Today is a slow day for business. I haven’t had many customers today,” the sex worker said. “But when I have a busy day, I hardly have time to spare. One day last year, my 10-year-old son came to tell me about his school results in the afternoon, but he had to wait outside my house for half an hour because I was entertaining a customer,” she said with a wan smile. “My heart broke that day; I could not let my child into my house because I was serving a client,” she added, her eyes welling up with tears. This story is not unique to Marjana; many other sex workers living in Banishanta have similar stories to tell when someone cares to listen. The brothel is located near Mongla seaport, around 50 kilometres away from Khulna city. It currently houses 155 sex workers. The majority of their customers are the crew members of ships that anchor at the seaport. Visiting the brothel, this correspondent saw women, most of them young, waiting for customers in front of their huts, their face heavily made up. Some of the bigger houses are shared by two or three sex workers – by sharing the rent, they can save up some money, explained one of the sex workers. Marjana shares her house with another sex worker. “I pay Tk1,500 for rent,” she said. The usual charge for each visit with a sex worker is Tk300-500 in Banishanta, said Marjana. Telling this correspondent about her life, she said she had been in this profession for seven years. “I am not originally from Khulna; my home is in Sirajganj,” she said. “My boyfriend held me captive inside a hotel room in Rajsha-

Rows of small shacks, lined up along the bank of Pashur River, are a part of Banishanta Brothel which is frequented by crew members of the ship that anchor at Mongla seaport DHAKA TRIBUNE hi, where I was gang-raped by him and his friends. I don’t know how long I was locked up there.” When she was finally able to get out, Marjana did not know where to go. “I could not go back home, I knew I would never be accepted,” she said, her eyes downcast. Fearing rejection from her family, Marjana found it inevitable that her life would lead to sex trade. Travelling many districts, she ended up in Mongla and found refuge in Banishanta. The only ray of light in her bleak life is her son, Hasib (not his real name). He lives with a family who live near the brothel. They have taken him in for a monthly allowance of Tk2,000 to cover his education and other costs.

“My son used to live with me, but as he grew up, it became difficult to keep him with me,” Marjana said. While Marjana was conversing with this correspondent, her roommate Rehana (not her real name) came out of the other room with her client. She joined the conversation after initial introduction. “My client paid me a Tk200 tip because he was satisfied with my service,” she said happily. The 22-year-old, originally from Natore, was forced into sex trade by her own uncle when she was 16. “I did not even understand sex clearly. People used to come and rape me every day. I would cry in the beginning, but with time I be-

Khaleda returns home after hajj n UNB

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday returned home from Saudi Arabia after performing hajj. The BNP chief and her entourage arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 5:10pm by a flight of Emirates Airlines, said her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan. Several thousand leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies received her standing on both

sides of the airport road as she came out of the airport around 5:30pm. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, senior leaders Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdullah Al Noman, Shahjahan Omar, Mohammad Shahjahan, Abdul Awal Mintoo, ZM Zahid, Netai Roy Chowdhury and Khairul Kabir Khokan were, among others, present. Wrapping up her 15-day Saudi tour, Khaleda along with her family members, including BNP senior

vice chairman and her eldest son Tarique Rahman, left Jeddah King Abdul Aziz International Airport in the morning for Dubai. Saudi unit BNP leaders and activists saw them off at the airport. After reaching Dubai, Khaleda bade fare well to her son, two daughters-in-law and granddaughter Ziama Rahman and started her journey for home. Her family members went to London by another flight of the Emirates Airlines. l

came used to it.” Rehana eventually escaped her uncle’s clutches, but could not escape her reputation. “I travelled to several places before I ended up here. Now I work here, trying to save up some money.” As the major portion of the Banishanta clientele are ship crews, business there has its up and down streaks, depending on the number of ships that arrive at the port. “During ‘peak’ season, especially in the Bangla month of Boishakh, 150-200 customers visit the brothel every day. But in the other times of the year, we hardly get 50-60 customers,” Marjana said. “When we have the peak season, I have to serve customers one after another throughout the day.

Some days I have to entertain 20-25 customers.” To attract customers, the sex workers do not depend on makeup only. “I need to look young and keep my body attractive, so I take medicines,” Marjana said. Rehana said she takes sex stimulating drugs to help her satisfy her customers. “Otherwise, I would not be able to earn the extra tip,” she said. This correspondent talked to Karima Khatun (not her real name), the sardarni of Banishanta – chief of the brothel who runs the trade. “We take in floating sex workers so they can have shelter. We do not take in any underage girls to avoid legal problems,” she said. l

‘Extortionists on highways to face action’ n UNB Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said tough actions will be taken against those extorting toll illegally on highways and ferry ghats across the country. “Intelligence agencies have made a list of the extortionists who have been collecting toll illegally on several highways and ferry ghats. If they (extortionists) don’t

stop their activities immediately, stern actions will be taken against them”, the minister said. He was briefing reporters after a meeting on extortion on highways and ferry ghats (terminals). The government has identified several spots across the country where extortionists are very active and some of the spots have brought under close circuit camera surveillance system, the minister said. l

News

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Malaysia deports Feni’s Akash arrested for terror link n Tribune Desk Malaysian police have deported three people, including a Bangladeshi citizen, who had been detained for their alleged involvement with Islamic State and other terrorist groups. Of the detainees, 37-year-old Bangladeshi suspect, Peyar Ahmed Akash from Feni, was arrested on August 19 for smuggling weapons for an international terror group. The two others are from Nepal and Morocco, the Straits Times reported yesterday. Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the suspects were detained by the Bukit

Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division between August 2 and September 17. Khalid said: “He [Bangladeshi national] owns a restaurant [Rasana Bilash] in Bukit Bintang and was placed in Interpol’s Red Notice. He was deported on September 2.” The Detective Branch of police handed him over to Dagonbhuiyan police station on September 3. He was shown arrested the following day and sent to jail through the District Joint Sessions Judge’s Court. Akash came into light in 2005, after RAB had arrested him for selling off four AK47 rifles – stolen from the 10-truck arms seized

in 2004 – to Delwar alias Azrail Delwar, a listed terrorist linked to Islami Chhatra Shibir. But he managed to come out of jail on bail by the grace of his brother-in-law Abu Yusuf – the nayeb-e-ameer of Feni district unit Jamaat. He joined Jamaat-e-Islami’s radical student wing Shibir while studying in Shaheen Academy School of Feni town, run by Jamaat. He passed SSC in 1993 and eventually got engaged in arms trading. RAB arrested him along with two of his associates in Feni on September 18, 2005 based on information given by Delwar, who was killed in an alleged gunfight with RAB at Fatikchhari of Chittagong

on May 7, 2005. Jailed for seven years in the case, he secured bail after some time and resumed arms trading, according to sources in Feni police. Akash went to Malaysia after the 1/11 changeover and got engaged in manpower and hotel businesses, and soon became an influential leader of the Feni community in Kuala Lumpur. He was also accused of campaigning against the war crimes trials in the Bangladeshi community in Malaysia for long. Being informed, Bangladesh government last year requested Interpol for his arrest, and later Interpol issued the red alert. l

Govt confiscates BNP leader Khoka’s land Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj The government yesterday confiscated 50 acres of lands belonging to BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka in Rupganj upazila, Narayanganj. The former mayor’s confiscated lands were located at Kornogop, Tarabo and Golakandail areas of Rupganj. Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Rabbi Miah said: “The government is moving to acquire, appropriate and declare the land as ‘khas’ [state-owned].” Rupganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Farhana Islam said a court order in relation to a case by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) directed the move to confiscate the lands in Kornogop, Tarabo, and Golakandail areas in Rupganj, Narayanganj. The lands have been demarcated and red flags have been erected in the locations, the UNO added. Khoka was sentenced to 13 years in prison for acquiring illegal wealth. He is currently in the United States for medical treatment. l

Six Bangladeshi workers die in Saudi road crash n Tribune Desk

Activists of Bangladesh Labour Party form a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday protesting the establishment of coal-based Rampal Power Plant near the Sundarbans MEHEDI HASAN

DU Kha unit admission exam Friday n DU Correspondent

The Honours admission exam for Kha unit of the Dhaka University for the 2016-2017 session will be held from 10am to 11am Friday. The admission test will be held at a total of 73 centres on the university campus and outside the campus, said a DU press release yesterday. The external centres are Bangladesh Engineering University School and College, Home Economics College, Dhaka City College, Azimpur Girls School and College and Begum Badrunnesa Government Girls’ College. l

RU teacher Tanveer suspended over Jolly suicide issue n Abdullah AL Dulal, Rajshahi

Tanveer Ahmad, Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) department of Rajshahi University and ex-husband of Aktar Jahan Jolly, a teacher of the department, who allegedly committed suicide on September 9, has been suspended from his job on the issue. The decision came from an academic meeting oyesterday noon, said a press release. Earlier, on September, police recovered the body of Jolly, Asso-

ciate professor of MCJ department from room-303 of university’s bachelors’ quarters named Jubery Bhaban . She got separated with her husband Tanveer Ahmad, ex-chairman of MCJ department three years ago. Jolly’s brother Kamrul Hasan Ratan filed the case with the Motihar police in this connection on September 10. In a suicide note found in her room he, stated: “His father should not be granted the custody of my son Sowad at any cost.” Mentioning that the man had

earlier tried to hurt Sowad, the note further reads: “The man, who put a knife on his son’s throat, can kill the boy or can compel him to kill himself.” She also wrote: “No one is responsible for my death. I am committing suicide out of physical and emotional stress.” She also made a request of donating her body to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. “Do not send my body to Dhaka. Rather, donate it to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital,” the note adds. l

Six Bangladeshi workers, including two brothers, have been killed and another injured in a road accident in Saudi Arabia, the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh says. A car carrying the workers collided with another vehicle at Qatif, some 400 kilometres east from capital Riyadh, yesterday morning, Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi said. The victims are Shahidul and his brother Babul, hailing from Barisal; Rafiqul Islam of Patuakhali; Sirajul Islam, Rana Sahabuddin, from Bhola; and Sharif, the reports UNB. Moshi said the injured Saiful Islam was being treated at a Saudi hospital where doctors described his condition as “critical” and an embassy official was sent to the facility to take care his treatment, reports BSS. “Although today [yesterday] is national holiday in Saudi Arabia... but we are maintaining close contact with the Saudi authorities in this regard and supervising treatment of the injured worker,” Moshi added. The oil-rich gulf is one of Bangladesh’s major manpower export markets. Bangladesh receives billions of dollars in remittance from workers working in the Middle-East. l

News

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Infant stolen again from DMCH n Aminul Islam Babu A three month old girl has been stolen from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday afternoon. The infant Khadiza is the youngest daughter of Nasima Begum and Bahadur Dhali. Bahadur is a day labourer from Kathalbari union of Shibcharm, Madaripur district. Khadiza’s father was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor at the hospital’s neurosurgery department ward for the past two and a half months and the family had more or less moved in there with him. Nasima, told the Dhaka Tribune that yesterday afternoon a women

came into the ward pretending to be lost looking for the gynecology department. She soon made friends with her and came back with a juice box for their eldest daughter Shorna, 10. She then said that she would also like to buy a gift for the infant Khadiza like a dress, Nasima agreed and out of exhaustion from staying up all night with her sick husband sent Shorna and the baby with the unidentified woman. Once the three reached the front gate of the hospital the women under the pretext of finding the right color for the dress sent Shorna back to the hospital to bring her mother

keeping the infant with her. Once Nasima realised that this was probably a scam she frantically ran outside but the woman and her baby were already gone. “I don’t know what to do, I believed the women in good faith,” said Nasima. Khaza Abdul Gafur, deputy director of DMCH, said that they know about the incident and are looking into this. Abu Bakkar Siddique officer-incharge of Shahabagh police station said the incident took place between 4:00 to 4:30pm and a general diary has been filed by Nasima in connection. l

Warrant issued for BNP leaders n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court issued arrest warrants against 14 BNP leaders yesterday including BNP’s Vice Chairman Salima Rahman in connection with an arson attack case filed with Pallabi police station in last year. Dhaka senior special court-1, Judge Md Kamrul Hossain Molla issued the arrest warrants after accepting the charges levelled against 20 BNP leaders and activists in the case.

Though there are countless instances in Dhaka alone where a child fell in an open-manhole and died, it seems the authorities concerned are reluctant to take necessary precautions. The picture taken yesterday shows an open-manhole in Dhaka’s South Jurain area with a broken lid and to make things worse, the waste from the manhole overflows during rain, making the road unhygienic and unappealing to walk on as it becomes filled with waste RAJIB DHAR

The court issued the arrest warrant since they did not appear before the court during yesterday’s hearing in the case. The court also directed the officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station to submit reports by November 2 on the execution of arrest warrants. Other accused named in the arrest warrants are- BNP chief’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan, BNP chief’s personal assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, BNP’S Executive

Committee Member Syeda Ashifa Ashrafi, Ex-JCD president Azizul Bari Helal, Swechchhasebak Dal president Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel and its Secretary Meer Sharafat Ali Safu. BNP Standing Committee Member Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, who along with four others was on bail in the case, submitted time petition stating sickness as a cause of his absence and the court accepted it while BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is now in jail. l

Shell explosion kills boy Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong A teenage boy was killed while two others were critically injured yesterday afternoon when a cannon shell they collected from a firing range of Bangladesh Army in Hathazari upazila, Chittagong exploded. The deceased was Md Sumon, 15, son of local farmer named Ali Hossain in Charia area under Hathazari’s Mirzapur union, according to police and local sources. The sources further said the injured – Yusuf, 13, and Sujon, 12 – were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). However, the police outpost in the CMCH told the Dhaka Tribune that neither of the two had been brought in, when this report was filed yesterday evening. Hathazari police station OC Belal Uddin Jahangir told the Dhaka Tribune that the

accident occurred around 1:30pm, during a live firing exercise of the army at the firing range at Charia Ward 5, which is a hilly area. “As the training was in progress, the three boys were collecting cannon shells near the range. They set one shell on fire which caused the explosion, killing one boy and injuring the other two,” said Inspector Md Mujibur Rahman of the police station. Mohammed Rahim Uddin Chowdhury, chairman of Mirazapur union parishad (UP), told the Dhaka Tribune: “I was informed by the local residents that a teenager was killed and two others were injured when a shell collected by them exploded.” Earlier on October 20 last year, a man named Shahjahan, 22, from Hathazari Sadar, died from injuries in a similar accident near the firing range. l

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

RAIN LIKELY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Dhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:54PM

Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:48AM

35.3ºC Rajshahi

23.0ºC Tetulia

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 5:10am | Jumma: 1:15pm Asr: 4:45pm | Magrib: 6:12pm Esha: 8:15pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

72km roads in Khulna turns unfit n Hedait Hossain Molla, Khulna About 72 kilometres of Khulna roads have remained in dilapidated condition due to heavy rain and lack of repairs and maintenance. Of the 72 kilometres, 40 kilometres of Khulna-Satkhira Highway and 32 kilometres of city roads became unfit for vehicular movement, as gigantic potholes have developed at major points of the roads, said locals. During a visit to the road on Wednesday, this correspondent found that a number of big potholes have developed on the roads making it risky for commuters. Consequently, people who have to use the road for travel everyday, are suffering to a great extent. “A large portion of Khulna-Satkhira Highway, Narikeltola intersection, Jessore-Khulna-Chuknagar road, Tala-Paikgachha-Koira road and many city roads have turned into simply death trap for commuters,” said ABM Shofiqul Islam, principle of Chuknagar Degree College. The principle alleged that the roads of the areas had started damaging within a very short time after the completion of its repair works. He also apprehended that contractors entrusted with the repair works of the highway and road might embezzled a good amount of money during renovation works and consequently they used sub-standard materials in the works. Nazmul Ahsah, deputy commissioner of Khulna in a meeting at DC’s office on Sunday urged Khulna City Corporation (KCC) to repair

Due to heavy downpour and lack of management, gigantic potholes have developed on Khulna roads which make the roads nightmare for commuters. People of the district have been suffering to a great extent due to these potholes for many days DHAKA TRIBUNE city roads as soon as possible to ease the sufferings of city dwellers. He also asked the city authority to complete works of the Zebra crossing within very short time in order to avoid pedestrians’ road accident. Md Anisur Rahman Biswas, acting Mayor of the KCC, said: “Heavy

rain has damaged the roads of the city and we are trying to repair the roads very sincerely.” Abul Kalam Azad, executive engineer of Khulna Road and Highway Department, told to the Dhaka Tribune that repairing of road is a continuous process and we are now in our way to solve the roads

problem permanently. Mizanur Rahman, a bus driver, said: “We are compelled to use the road amid great danger.” Shofiqul Islam, driver of human haulier, said: “We also cannot properly see the vehicles coming from opposite direction due to the dense dust. The road’s poor state

2 drug dealers Couple in love take own lives held with 2kg n opium in Ctg Abdul Aziz, Cox’s Bazar

n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong

A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB 7) detained two drug dealers in possession of opium weighing two kilograms on Wednesday night. The estimated value of the seized contraband narcotics is Tk1crore. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the elite force led by Major SM Sudipta Shahin conducted the drive in Shah Amanat Bridge area under Chandgaon police station and arrested Md Alam, 65 of Cox’s Bazar and Didar Hossain, 36 of Noakhali. Chandan Debnath, assistant director (media) of the RAB 7, said they had conducted a forensic test and it was proved to be opium. l

A loving couple committed suicide by hanging themselves at Chhankholapara village, Maheshkhali upazila, Cox’s Bazar in the early hours of yesterday. Police said Insan Uddin Prokash Kala Chan, 35, son of Bacha Miah and Sharmin Akter, 29, wife of Saudi Arabia expatriate Faridul Alam, had

been engaged in extramarital affairs for long. Member of Maheshkhali union parishad Abdul Karim said Sharmina, mother of two children, built extra marital affairs with her neighbour Insan three years back. Sharmin was putting pressure on Insan to marry her, as her husband is coming to the courtry from abroad within a few days. But Insan refused to marry her.

Being refused by lover, she committed suicide hanging herself with ceilling by a rope on Wednesday. Getting the news of her suicide, Insan committed suicide in the early hours of the day. Officer-in-Charge of Moheskhali police station Babul Chandra Banik told the Dhaka Tribune that they bodies was sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsies. l

Abducted fishermen still missing n Md Asaduzzaman, Shatkhira

The fishermen, who have been abducted early Monday from Katheshwar of West Sundarbans, still remain missing although rescue efforts by law enforcers are on. Drives are being conducted in the Sundarbans in search of eight kidnapped fishermen, says Maj Adnan of Rapid Action Battalion-8.

However, seeking anonymity, three fishermen, who have been released by the abductors, said 47 fishermen along with 24 fishing boats had been taken by Noa Bahini, a pirate gang in Shatkhira range, from the Chora river in Katheshwar and Shapkhali’s Majarmulor canal. The pirates demanded Tk 30 thousand in ransom for the release of each abducted, they said.

Among the missing, names of three fishermen could be known, but the families of the rest remained mum, fearing further violence by the pirates, they added. Mohsin Ali, officer-in-charge of Syamnagar police station, said informed from reports on media, a team of river police started working in Sundarbans to rescue the fishermen. l

damage machinery and tyres of our vehicles and many people become victim of accidents there as well.” He also authorities concerned to take measure to renovate the roads as well as damaged portions of Khulna-Satkhira Highway without any delay to ease sufferings of people. l

Three jailed for life for murder n UNB, Jessore

A Jessore court on Wednesday convicted three people and sentenced them to life term imprisonment for killing a man in 1997. The convicts were identified as Monajat Gain, son of Haider Ali, Shahjahan Gain of Sharsha upazila, and Yunus Ali of Jhikorgaccha upazila of Jessore district. According to the prosecution, Ayub Ali was hacked to death by the convicts over previous enmity at Chatkapota village in Sharsha upazila on October 23, 1997. A case was filed with Sharsha upazila. Police submitted charge sheet against four people including the three convicts on November 20, 2004. After examining records and witnesses, District Special Judge Nitai Chandra Saha handed down the verdict while acquitted Hamzer Ali as allegations brought against him could not be proved. l

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Commercial establishments taking over residential areas in Chittagong n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The port city of Chittagong is seeing a rapid increase of commercial activity in residential areas violating the housing code of the country. A recent drive by Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) revealed the depths of the crisis. On September 21 a mobile court fined owners of three residential buildings in Agrabad Residential Area CDA with Tk 20,000 for renting out to educational institutions. They were also asked to evict the commercial enterprises from their buildings within three months. Educational institutions, guest houses, coaching centres, departmental stores, buying houses, beauty parlours, developer companies, restaurants, clinics, pharmacies and NGO offices have opened offices in a disorganised manner in almost all residential areas of the city.

Shahinul Islam Khan, Chief Town Planner of the CDA told the Dhaka Tribune that they had launched drives against commercial establishments in the residential areas. “We will not allow any illegal commercial establishments in residential areas and the irresponsible building owners must face the consequences,” vowed the Chief Town Planner. On September 8 a total of 24 commercial establishments were asked to vacate their premise in Chandgaon Residential Area of the city within three months. These commercial establishments included pharmacies, beauty parlours, clinics, educational institutions that were fined by the mobile court with Tk 35,000 in total. Also on August 29 a mobile court conducted a drive at North Khulshi area and fined three building owners with Tk 89,000 for renting out their residential buildings to com-

mercial establishments. According to the CDA, there are a total of 28 residential areas in the city such as Khulshi, Sugandha, OR Nizam, Chandgaon, Amirbag, Hill View, Nasirabad Housing Society, Panchlaish, Agrabad CDA, Green View, Chandrima, Halishahar and Katalganj. The residents of the area think that these commercial establishments pose a great security risk to them. Moin Chowdhury of Chandgaon Residential Area said that they were gravely concerned about security following the recent Gulshan café attack. “Due to the exponential growth of residential/commercial buildings, hundreds of outsiders have access to areas that they would not have otherwise posing a serious security threat. The building owners rent out to commercial establishments so that they can charge a higher rent. We welcome

News

the mobile courts drive by the CDA in evicting the illegal commercial establishments. The mobile should not stop halfway,” said Moin. During a recent visit to OR Nizam Road Housing Society of the city the Dhaka Tribune found that as many as 30 coaching centres and other business were operating illegally in the area. Anwarul Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of OR Nizam Road Residential Area Welfare Association said that their request to building owners fell on deaf ears about not renting out to commercial establishments. Khin Won Nu, Executive Magistrate of the CDA who has been leading the mobile courts told the Dhaka Tribune that they were going to fine and serving notices to the irresponsible building owners for illegally renting out to commercial establishments. l

With a vow to say ‘No’ to militancy, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police yesterday formed a human chain at Saheb Bazar intersection in the city

AZAHAR UDDIN

Another schoolgirl becomes victim of stalking n Bipul Sarker Sunny, Dinajpur

A stalker allegedly stabbed a schoolgirl with a sharp weapon, as the girl refused his love proposal at Birganj, Dinajpur yesterday. Rani Akter, 12, daughter of Abdur Rashid, and also a fifth grader student at Birganj Model Government Primary School, is now under going treatment at Birganj Upzila Health Complex. Family members said Rasel, 19, a resident of Arfi Bazar area, had been harassing the victim on her way to school and tuition for long. When Rani was going for tuition in the morning, Rasel waylaid of her near municipality market. At one stage of altercation, he stabbed on several parts of the victim’s body and fled from the spot. Hearing screams of the girl, sweepers rescued her in critical state and took her to the upzila health complex. Residential Medical Officer of Birganj Hospital told the Dhaka Tribune that they had found several injury marks on her body, but she was out of danger. The girl became traumatised after the incident. OC of Birganj police station said no case was filed in this connection. Muktar Hossain, councillor of Birganj municipality, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had already informed deputy commissioner about the matter. Two schoolgirl had been stabbed to death by stalkers in Dhaka and Madaripur recently. Nitu Mandal, an eight grader student, was hacked to death by a stalker at Aisar Kandi village in Kalkini upazila, Madaripur on Sunday. On August 24, Suraiya Akhter Risha, 14, daughter of Md Ramzan Ali of Bangshal of old Dhaka and an eighth-grader of Willes Little Flower School and College, was stabbed in the abdomen by a stalker in front of her educational institution at Kakrail in Dhaka. She died from her wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on August 28. The killing of Risha has created a widespread protest across the country. l

Two aides of JMB leader Abdur Rahman jailed for 30yrs Serajul Islam, n Mohammad Sylhet

A Sylhet court yesterday sentenced two close aides of executed Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman to 30 years of imprisonment in an arms case. The court also fined Tk1 lakh each of the convicts – Md Moyejul Islam alias Hridoy Chowdhury,

49, a resident of Shibganj upzila in Chapainawabganj and Azizul alias Hanif, 34, a resident of Koyra upzila in Khulna, in default to serve seven years more in prison. Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge of the district Md Ibrahim Miah passed the order in the presence of the two accused in the case filed under the Arms Act. According to the prosecution, police recovered a numbers of arms

and ammunition from a house namely Surjodigholbari located under Sylhet Kotwali police station and arrested Hridoy Chowdhury, a top aide of Abdur Rahman, on March 2, 2007. Sub-Inspector of Kotwali police station Md Waliullah filed two cases under Arms act and Explosive act on the day. On April 13, the sub-inspector who was the investigation officer

the case submitted a charge sheet of the case filed under Arms act before a court accusing three members of the JMB, including its leader Abdur Rahman. On July 4, prosecution of the case was began. After cross-checking 33 out of 43 witnesses and examining documents, the court announced the verdict. It is mentionable that Shaikh

Abdur Rahman and another kingpin of the JMB Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai were executed on March 30, 2007 after being convicted of masterminding the death of two Jhalakathi judges. On 17 August 2005, around 500 bomb explosions occurred at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh. The JMB claimed responsibility for the bombings. l

8 World

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan warplanes take part in military drill Pakistani warplanes landed on a highway linking Peshawar and Rawalpindi on Thursday as part of an exercise for which airspace was closed off in the country’s north, sparking speculation that the armed forces were preparing for possible hostilities with India. AF-7 and Mirage jets touched down on the M1 Motorway, as part of the High-mark exercise, according to media reports. HT

INDIA

Indian police rearrest Kashmir rights activist Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have charged a leading human rights activist under a controversial security law and rearrested him, shortly after a court ordered him freed. Khurram Parvez was formally charged on Wednesday night under the Public Safety Act that allows detention for up to six months without trial, and he was rearrested after he left prison. AFP

CHINA

China removes ban on US beef products China has removed an almost 13 year old ban on some US beef products, its quality inspection regulator said. A ban on imports of American bone-in beef and boneless beef for cattle under 30 months has been lifted effective immediately, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said. REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Hong Kong arrests 2,000 in triad raids Hong Kong police have arrested more than 2,000 people in raids on suspected criminal triad gangs, with the city’s underworld in the spotlight after a lawmaker received death threats. The raids, which started in late July, have netted 2,120 people believed to be connected with triad, vice and dangerous drugs offences, Hong Kong’s organised crime chief said. AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Saudi-led raids kill 20 civilians in Yemen Saudi-led coalition air strikes have killed 20 civilians in a rebel-held port city in Yemen. The strikes came as Riyadh faces mounting international scrutiny over civilian casualties in its 18-month campaign against rebels in Yemen. The raids hit the Suq al-Hunod district in the Red Sea port of Hodeida Wednesday night. AFP

Bahamas files leaks expose politicians’ offshore links n Tribune International Desk In today’s digital era, offshore secrets are hard to keep. In its latest revelations, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and news organisations from Europe, South America, Asia and Africa reveal fresh information about offshore companies in the Bahamas. The leaked documents provides names of politicians and others linked to more than 175,000 Bahamian companies registered between 1990 and 2016 The data has brought to light details of the financial interests of politicians, entrepreneurs, financiers – and fraudsters. Five months after the release of the Panama Papers, this new cache of information from the world of offshore tax havens contains the names of directors and some shareholders at nearly 176,000 shell companies, trusts and foundations.

Whose names are being revealed

Among the revelations are the offshore business dealings of the home secretary, Amber Rudd, along with her involvement in a fund where a fellow director was jailed for making misleading statements to investors. The former EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes has been forced to admit she breached the European commission’s code of conduct by failing to declare her directorship of an offshore company while she was actively policing multinationals. The data also contains trails left by Cem Kinay (German), a property developer wanted by Interpol for bribery, and accused of making a possibly corrupt payment to Michael Misick, the former premier of the Turks and Caicos islands, a British overseas territory. As previous reports have revealed, and the latest leak confirms, David Cameron’s father used the Bahamas as a base from which his Blairmore investment fund avoided tax for three decades. It was also the offshore address of a Mongolian gold-mining company whose directors included Sukhbaatar Batbold, an entrepreneur who would go on to become Mongolia’s prime minister. The son of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet used a Bahamian company, Meritor Investments Limited, to move $1.3m to his father. Pinochet’s son, Marco Antonio, dismissed the allegations as “lies” and declared no wrongdoing through

the Bahamas. Pinochet himself owned another Bahamian company, Ashburton Company Limited, set up in 1996. Abba Abacha, the son of former Nigerian president, Sani Abacha, had $350m frozen in Luxembourg and the Bahamas as part of a global asset hunt into the estimated $3bn stripped from Nigeria during his father’s five-year rule. Bahamian companies and bank accounts have also played key roles in graft schemes involving former politicians from Greece, Ukraine, Kuwait and Trinidad and Tobago and in illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi government under the United Nations Oil-for-Food program. The Bahamas was also linked to the dealings of five politicians and public officials revealed in the Panama Papers. They include Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar’s former prime minister and foreign minister until 2013, who owned Trick One Limited, a Bahamas company. In January 2005, when foreign minister, Al Thani signed a loan agreement with a bank for $53m. Argentina’s president, Mauricio Macri, his father Francisco and brother Mariano, directed Fleg Trading Ltd, set up in the Bahamas in 1998 and dissolved 11 years later. Macri did not disclose his connection to Fleg Trading in asset declarations in 2007 and 2008 when he was mayor of Buenos Aires. Following the release of Panama Papers, an Argentine prosecutor sought information from authorities in Panama and the Bahamas as part of an investigation into whether Macri “maliciously” omitted his connections to the company.”

KEY FINDINGS Ü Millions of leaked files from two financial service providers, a private bank in Jersey and the Bahamas corporate registry reveal how tax havens around the world are used to hide riches. Ü Government officials and their families and associates in China, Azerbaijan, Russia, Canada, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Mongolia and other countries have embraced the use of covert companies and bank accounts. Ü The mega-rich use complex offshore structures to own mansions, yachts, art masterpieces and other assets, gaining tax advantages and anonymity not available to average people. Ü Many of the world’s top’s banks – including UBS, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank – have aggressively worked to provide their customers with secrecy-cloaked companies in the British Virgin Islands and other offshore hideaways. Ü A well-paid industry of accountants, middlemen and other operatives has helped offshore patrons shroud their identities and business interests, providing shelter in many cases to money laundering or other misconduct. Ü Ponzi schemers and other large-scale fraudsters routinely use offshore havens to pull off their shell games and move their ill-gotten gains. Ü The new information reveals previously unknown or little-reported connections to companies owned or run by current or former politicians from the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Reason for picking the Bahamas

There are many legal reasons for choosing a Bahamas letterbox, chief among them the absence of taxes on company profits, capital gains, income and inheritance. Another reason is anonymity. The Bahamas claims to be a transparent jurisdiction with a public register of companies, but the information shared from the seat of government in Nassau is limited. The corporate registry is supposed to contain the names and addresses of all directors and officers and can in theory be consulted online, but there is no requirement to register the owners of a company with the authorities. Unlike the Cayman Islands and Jersey, the Bahamas has not responded to public pressure to in-

troduce government-held registers of beneficial owners. The Bahamas registry website is often unavailable and the information it contains is patchy. Neelie Kroes, for example, does not appear in the online entry for the company of which she was a director. Complete information can often only be obtained by phone and fax or a visit in person. Importantly, it is not possible to search for names of individual directors, but only by company name, which can make wrongdoing hard to track. The Bahamas has bilateral infor-

mation-sharing agreements with 32 countries, including the UK, Germany, France and the US, but has completed no new deals since 2013. Many of these agreements are of limited use because they are with other tax havens, such as Guernsey and Malta, or with tiny economies such as Greenland. Even with a bilateral agreement, investigators cannot ask the Bahamas for all of the information it may have on an individual. They must first have the name of their bank or offshore company. l

Sources: ICIJ, CBC, THE GUARDIAN

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Anti-Shia terror by Pakistan Ahle Sunnat n Tribune International Desk A major attack on an imam bargah (Shia Muslim mosque) was averted during the Eid prayers on On September 13 in Sindh’s Shikarpur after two terrorists failed to carry out their “duties”; one detonated himself before reaching the target while the other was captured alive by police. Reportedly, the arrested suicide bomber has revealed that he was a student at one of the madrassas run by the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ), a proscribed sectarian organization that has spread anti-Shia hatred for decades. During the 1990s, the group was actively involved in a number of high profile attacks on Shia scholars, mosques, and gatherings. Previously, the organisation was registered under the name of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP). However, after the banning of SSP by General Pervez Musharaf in 2002, the organisation re-emerged under the name of ASWJ.

State’s counter-terrorism plan

Moeed Yousaf, the associate vice president of the Asia Centre at the US Institute of Peace, in an article published in Dawn under the headline ‘Not really a plan’ argues that Pakistan’s current coun-

ter-terrorism plan, called the National Action Plan (NAP), “wasn’t a thought-out document. It was a list of bullet points meant for the prime minister to show that the APS (Peshawar Army Public School) attack had woken us up.” He further asserts that “One thing it doesn’t have is a plan. Not one of its 20 points has been unpacked to say how precisely it will be achieved, and in what time frame. Moreover, what is worse is that the military and the government are not even committed to the so called “20 bullet points” framed to counter-terrorism in the country. The outcome: sectarian organisations such as ASWJ and others, which according to NAP should not be allowed to get an inch of space in Pakistan, are openly setting up factories of suicide bombers.

Government is helping ASWJ

What is more problematic is that despite the ban, the organisation’s activities have continued without any significant pressure from the government. In fact, besides remaining actively involved in sectarian killings, ASWJ remains openly engaged in politics: the organisation’s open campaigns to woo the military and major political parties through rallies, gatherings and ad-

ASWJ opposes blasphemy law reforms

Ahle sunnat wal Jamaat flag dresses at universities and colleges have become a common practice. These rallies often run under the guarantee of state security, with law enforcement agencies standing guard for their protection. The organisation’s successful campaign of terror has survived with alliances and the support of various major and small political parties. There have been reports of a seat adjustment agreement between the current ruling party and the ASWJ. Most notably, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has entered into local, unwritten agreements with the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat. Such an alliance may favour the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the short term, but would have a high cost to Pakistani society overall.”

Besides inciting hatred against Muslim minority communities in the country, ASWJ has also opposed any reforms in Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. One audacious example of this is the group’s defiant march against the state’s decision to hang the murderer of Salman Taseer, the Governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, who was killed by one of his security guards on accusation of having committed blasphemy. In the process, the group has also put pressure on the more moderate and liberal segments of the country to silence their voices. Number of political and social activists, including Raza Rumi, Sherry Rahman, and Javed Ghamidi were forced to leave the country in fear for their life. Unless the negative interpretation of Islam is controlled in the societal space and radical Islamist groups are stopped from disseminating violent messages as part of religion, no counter terrorism plan, regardless of how effective, can proved successful in eradicating terrorism from Pakistan. l

This past Sunday, as most of Russia as well as the rest of the world focused its attention on parliamentary elections, the country’s most popular daily, Kommersant, broke news of a story that, if true, could have consequences that last far beyond this latest round of Duma reshuffling. Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Kommersant, is planning a major overhaul of the country’s security services. The Russian daily reported that the idea of the reforms is to merge the Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, with the Federal Security Service, or FSB, which keeps an eye on domestic affairs. This new super-sized secret service will be given a new name: the Ministry of State Security or the MGB. If that sounds familiar, it should — this was the name given to the most powerful and feared of Joseph Stalin’s secret services, from 1943 to 1953. And if its combination of foreign espionage and domestic surveillance looks familiar, well, it should: In all but name, we are seeing a resurrection of the Committee for State Security — otherwise known as the KGB. President Vladimir Putin was himself a KGB officer during the

USA

44 arrested in second night of Charlotte violence Police arrested 44 people during a second night of violent protests over the police shooting of a black man, Charlotte police chief Kerr Putney said Thursday. Putney said nine civilians were injured during the protests late Wednesday and into the early hours Thursday, including a person who was in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound. AFP

THE AMERICAS

Brazil ex-finance minister arrested Brazilian police Thursday arrested Guido Mantega, a former finance minister under Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, as part of the investigation into the vast Petrobras corruption scheme. Mantega, who was an important figure in the leftist Workers’ Party, was arrested at a Sao Paulo hospital where his wife had undergone surgery. AFP

UK official meets EU ambassadors to discuss Brexit

Soviet era; at the end of the 1990s, he headed the FSB, which replaced the KGB. For years now, he has rewarded former agents with key positions in government.

A senior British official made clear during a meeting with ambassadors from EU countries in London this week that his government wants a signal from the EU about what kind of Brexit deal it is willing to accept before triggering divorce talks. The meeting was held on Tuesday so that Oliver Robbins, the top civil servant in the British Department for Exiting the EU, could brief UK-based diplomats from EU states. REUTERS

Three become one

EUROPE

[This is an excerpt of a The Diplomat article, Which can be found at http:// bit.ly/2cTu0Mi]

Russia mulling KGB comeback? n Tribune International Desk

World

“Factually, it’s about the FSB getting back the tasks of the Soviet KGB,” wrote Kommersant. Additionally, there are plans for the new ministry to investigate especially controversial cases itself, or to monitor the investigations of other judicial bodies. The new MGB is to be established ahead of the presidential election slated for 2018. The new organisation is being founded on the basis of so-called “internal troops,” an army-like unit of the Interior Ministry. Russia’s National Guard is directly under Putin’s control. It is headed by his former bodyguard, Viktor Zolotov. Some observers speculate that the National Guard was created mainly for the purpose of putting down any potential civilian protests.

A name with a dark past

Officials in Moscow have neither confirmed nor denied the report published by Kommersant, reports Deutsche Welle. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Monday. It’s also not clear whether the new ministry

Hungary PM: Deport migrants to camps outside EU The infamous Lubyanka building, which used to house the KGB. Now it hosts a directorate of FSB, the domestic federal security services WIKIMEDIA will actually be known as the MGB. Russian journalist Oleg Kashin is doubtful. In an interview with DW, he said that the name is burdened by history. The notorious Soviet secret service was known as the MGB from 1946 until Stalin’s death in 1953. “It was just for a few years after the war, but it was exactly at that point that there was a terrible wave of Stalinist repression,” said Kashin.

Return to Soviet Union?

If the FSB really does receive the powers, and with them, an old name of a Stalinist-era ministry, it would fit with the concept of a return to Soviet symbols and practices being pursued by Russian leaders. This process began in 2000 with the reintroduction of the melody of the Soviet national

anthem. Stalin and his “iron fist” have been glorified for years by state media. Stalin memorials are being erected again across the country, and his image appears frequently on billboards. In the last two years, particularly in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the process has clearly gained pace. In March, the independent research institute, the Levada Centre, conducted a survey on Stalin in which a majority of Russians (54%) deemed his influence on the Soviet Union to have been a positive one. Every fourth Russian saw “a necessity” for Stalin’s terror. According to the Levada Centre, such views are becoming more commonplace. Against this kind of backdrop, the reform and renaming of the FSB appears to be the next step in this development. l

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Thursday that migrants who have entered the EU illegally should be deported to camps outside the bloc, such as on an island, or on the north African coast. “Whoever came in illegally should be gathered together and taken out, not to other countries, but outside the EU,” Orban said in an interview. REUTERS

AFRICA

7 killed in Congo by Ugandan rebels 7 people were killed overnight in an attack in eastern DR Congo blamed on Ugandan rebel group the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The ADF killed 7 people and burned down houses in Kasinga in the Beni region, fighting between soldiers and the rebels was ongoing. 15 houses had been set on fire and five people were reported missing. AFP

World

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

US ELECTION 2016

How US candidates fighting an advert war n Anando Mostofa Ideology isn’t the end all be all when it comes to election. A lot of people think that ideology and manifesto can win or lose a candidate, but that simply isn’t true especially in US election. Advertisement has an impact on a candidate’s performance, but what really win or lose a candidate is how well the strategy is and how it’s optimised to convert traffic into leads, supporters, sales, donations, etc. The art of political advertisement lies in confirming the existing ideas, thoughts or prejudices of voters. The real skill is to do it in a way that feels authentic from the candidate and is emotionally provocative. Here we discuss on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s advertising strategy for our readers.

Hillary Clinton

Slogan: “It’s your time”. There’s a lot to like about this campaign slogan. It focuses on the voters instead of Hillary and implies that she’s going somewhere while communicating that she can’t do it without support from individuals. Strategy: After suffering a surprise upset by Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary’s new strategy is simple-be Barack Obama. Everything from her “arrow” logo, to the barrage of endless progressive campaign tweets is meant to brand the former first lady, senator, and secretary of state as a fresh choice for the future. Unlike in 2008, Hillary has severely downplayed the inevitability tone of her campaign, instead preaching humility while raking in over 200% more campaign cash than her closest competitor. Part of her strategy involves winning the “progressive-off ” against Vermont senator Bernie Sanders who is mounting a strong run by battling campaign finance reform and protesting wellcombed hair. Hillary is banking on a strategy that critically hinges on Al Gore’s continued lack of presidential ambitions. Digital Marketing: Democrats have proven to be very adept at implementing digital marketing strategies. Hillary appears to follow this trend and seems to have the edge when it comes to digital marketing. This shows in her web design which is clean, simple, easy to read, and pleasing to the eye. Video advert: TV ad for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign criticises Donald Trump, saying he’s not an acceptable role model for kids. The one-minute spot features gloomy music behind sound bites of controversial things Trump has said during his campaign. Audio of the presumptive nominee saying

Digital advert for US presidential elections 2016 in the old days protesters would be carried out on a stretcher, and his infamous line about being able to shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue without losing support, are prominent. The music then picks up and features video of Clinton discussing the future of the nation’s youth. Conversion Strategy: When you land on Hillary’s website, you quickly see two calls to action, “Join Us” and “Donate Now.” Both are worded strongly and effectively, and both represent the top two conversion goals for the website with joining coming first and donating coming second since it’s much easier to convert someone to join than it is to convince them to donate, yet once they join, you can always use an email drip campaign to convince them to donate. Hillary added a splash page that asks for people to join and donate before they even land on the homepage. This helps to focus attention 100% on these and seems to be working quite well. So far, she’s the only candidate who’s using this type of splash page. The headline for this splash page also does a great job focusing on the visitor as the hero and how they can participate versus focusing all of the

attention on Hillary. This works well because people are always interested in themselves and by nature people are looking for community and a cause to join. This headline works very well with that in mind. This is a really smart move by Hillary’s campaign team and something wouldn’t be surprised if the Trump end up copying soon.

Donald Trump

Slogan: “Make America great again!”. This slogan created in 1979 when the US was suffering from a worsening economy at home marked by stagflation, it was first used in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign. The slogan was also used by former President Bill Clinton. Trump applied to trademark the slogan in 2012, and used it during his 2016 presidential campaign, particularly by wearing hats bearing the phrase. Strategy: The biggest 2016 election shocker is of course the surge of Donald Trump as the Republican front-runner. Trump’s strategy is visible from space - America is losing and he will make US win. Trump’s strategy falls right in line with his caustic, belligerent per-

CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

sonality that made him so popular in the reality show circuit and as a frequent media hungry tycoon. His big issue is trade, and while the specifics of his plans are as absent as his natural hair colour, it hasn’t stopped the majority of Republicans from responding to his frustrated message. Trump positions himself proudly as the ideal choice for general election poison. His marketing tactics are taken right from his pre-established personal branding. He hopes to win over the electorate by being the most passionate vessel for conservative woes. While Trump currently enjoys ascendance, it’s unclear how the campaign would handle the machine gun barrage of negative ads currently on the Democratic cutting room floor spliced from television appearances, interviews, private recordings, and speeches. All signs point to “not well.” Digital Marketing: Donald Trump has the weakest web design in expert’s opinion. It’s got an older, not modern, not up-to-date with current design trends feel to it. Experts also not a big fan of the colours, especially the drabby maroonish colour that’s being used. Overall, the

design seems stale, and the colours don’t strike us as being as vibrant and energetic as the other candidates, despite Trump’s claims of “high energy.” Video advert: Donald Trump has video ad that purports to attack Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy credentials. But instead of criticising the Democratic presidential candidate’s policy proposals, her talking points, or her record as first lady, senator, or secretary of state, the video tries to make her a joke by showing her out of context, barking like a dog. Conversion Strategy: The Donald has even more issues than the other candidates. The “Donate” button in the header is faded and muted and doesn’t out the way a call to action (CTA) button should. His “Donate” and “Join Us” buttons are also pushed below the fold which is never a good idea. People like the idea of Trump’s campaign slogans focusing more on America and the people of America and less on themselves. With that in mind, Donald Trump has a strong slogan which hopefully will make up for some of the other holes his campaign seems to have from an advertising perspective. l

World

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Warplanes hit Aleppo in heaviest attack in months, defy US n Reuters, Beirut Warplanes mounted the heaviest air strikes in months against rebel-held districts of the city of Aleppo overnight, as Russia and the Syrian government spurned a US plea to halt flights, burying any hope for the revival of a doomed ceasefire. Rebel officials and rescue workers said incendiary bombs were among the weapons that rained from the sky on the city. Hamza al-Khatib, the director of a hospital in the rebel-held east, said the death toll was 45. The assault, by aircraft from the Syrian government, its Russian allies or both, made clear that Moscow and Damascus had rejected a plea by US Secretary of State John Kerry to halt flights so that aid could be delivered and a ceasefire salvaged. In a tense televised exchange with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the United Nations on Wednesday, Kerry said stopping the bombardment was the last chance to find a way “out of the carnage”. Moscow and Washington announced the ceasefire two weeks ago with great fanfare. But the agreement, probably the final bid for a breakthrough on Syria before President Barack Obama leaves office next year, appears to have suffered the same fate as all other doomed peace ef-

forts in a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and made half the nation homeless. The truce foundered on Monday with an attack on an aid convoy, which Washington blamed on Russian warplanes. Russia denied involvement. Prior to that, tensions between Washington and Moscow spiked over a lethal air strike on Syrian government troops by the US-led coalition against Islamic State. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military or mention on state media of Thursday’s bombardment of Aleppo. In another sign of the Syrian government’s determination to press on with seizing and holding territory, it evacuated more rebel fighters from the last opposition-held district of Homs, which would complete the government’s recapture of the central city, now largely reduced to ruins.

Homs evacuation

But the president of Iran on Wednesday dismissed that idea, saying it would help Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, which changed its name in July and says it cut its ties to the network founded by Osama bin Laden. Assad has appeared as uncompromising as ever in recent weeks, reiterating his goal

of taking back the whole country on the day the US-Russian brokered truce took effect. The government’s main focus has been to consolidate its grip over the main cities of western Syria and the coastal region that is the ancestral homeland of Assad’s Alawite sect. On Thursday, around 120 rebel fighters and their families were evacuated from the last opposition-held district of Homs under an agreement with the government by which they were given safe passage to nearby rebel-held areas.

The opposition says such agreements are part of a government strategy to forcibly displace populations from opposition-held areas after years of siege and bombardment. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates several thousand rebel fighters remain in the al-Waer district. The fighters, carrying their personal weapons, and their families will head from the alWaer neighbourhood to the rebel-held northern Homs countryside, then travel on to rebel-held Idlib province, Homs Governor Talal Barazi said. l

A man carries an injured child after airstrikes on the rebel held alQaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria September 21 REUTERS

12 Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

TOP STORIES Two-day international conference on urban poverty begins tomorrow A two-day international conference on the alleviation of urban poverty will begin in the capital tomorrow. The aim of the conference is to unearth reasons behind urban poverty and devise ways to end poverty and inequality among the city dwellers. PAGE 13

Asia central bank doves flutter wings as Fed takes its time

By dallying over raising interest rates the US Federal Reserve made it easier this week for central banks in the Asia Pacific to stay dovish, with Indonesia lowering rates yesterday and Australia and New Zealand saying they could cut later. PAGE 14

ECB: China and Brexit pose risks to global growth Global growth is likely to accelerate next year but the outlook is fraught with risks, particularly from big emerging market economies including China, and Britain’s decision to leave the EU, the European Central Bank said yesterday. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Thursday DSE Broad Index

4,665.4

Index

1,120.5

0.2% ▲

30 Index

1,771.0

-0.1% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

5,552.1

-9.6% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

158.1

5.1% ▲

All Share Index 14,330.0

0.2% ▲

30 Index

0.1% ▲

CSE

Selected Index

12,989.8 8,727.4

0.2% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

410.3

26.8% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

12.2

23.4% ▲

Economic Zone investors to get duty exemption on imports n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Economic Zones developers and investors in Bangladesh will get full exemption from customs, regulatory and supplementary duties and value-added tax on imports of materials locally unavailable. The government recently offered a set of incentive packages for them to encourage more investments - both foreign and local. The Internal Resources Division issued separate gazette notifications to the effect of the benefits. The facilities have been offered for the EZs administered under the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority Act 2010, officials said. However, the National Board of Revenue has tagged several conditions against the benefits including that the EZ developers and investors will have to be registered for VAT. All the goods imported under this notification have to be approved and certified by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) where the name of the product to be imported and description and quantity of the goods have to be certified by the BEZA. However, the investors or developers cannot avail the benefits if the materials like construction materials are available in Bangladesh. They will also not be given the benefit if the goods imported are not directly linked with development and construction of the EZs. Such products include office equipment, air conditioners, refrigerators, passenger vehicles, articles for household use and other

The government plans to establish 100 economic zones across Bangladesh in next 15 years similar goods, and consumable goods. Duty-free car import for industrial units Meanwhile, the authorities had also relaxed conditions for the EZ investors for duty-free car import facility to increase foreign investment inflow. An industrial unit of the EZ will enjoy import of two duty-free vehicles by investing $10m or equivalent local currency and employment generation of 500 people in that unit. However, the approval letter and certificate from BEZA have to be submitted to the customs authority at the time of assessment of duties and clearance of the im-

ported vehicles. BEZA will allow EZ investors to import two duty-free vehicles including a Sedan car with a less than 2000cc engine or micro-bus, pick-up vans or double-cabin pick-ups for an industrial unit under the benefit. The importers, however, are not allowed to transfer ownership of the vehicles for five years after the import. Investors can import vehicles duty-free only once under the facility. The vehicle imported cannot be used for any other activity or any commercial purpose other than production purpose and for related activities of that industrial unit. Earlier, the NBR had offered

COURTESY

complete tax-waivers on a company’s dividend income, capital gains from transfer of shares and on payable royalties, technical know-how and technical assistance until 10 years of commercial operation. It also offered 10-year tax holiday for investors and 12-year tax holiday for the developers of the economic zones and the high-tech parks. The government plans to establish 100 EZs across the country over the next 15 years, which are expected to generate about 10m additional jobs. By 2030, the export earnings only from the EZs are expected to stand at $40bn, according to BEZA. l

bKash pays Tk139cr network fee to mobile operators n Tribune Business Desk bKash, the leading Mobile Financial Service (MFS) provider in the country, has paid mobile operators around Tk139 crore as network fee in last three years. Industry insiders said most MFS (Mobile Financial Service) providers share 7% of their revenue with the mobile operators for accessing USSD channels under a revenue-sharing model agreed by all stakeholders. Currently, more than a dozen of MFS providers are operating in the market with 36.5 million registered customers as of July 2016. The objective of launching

mobile money services back in 2011 was to bring the poor and unbanked population into financial services via mobile phones. bkash spokesman Zahedul Islam said in 2015 bKash alone paid Tk67 core to four mobile operators—Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink and Airtel for using their USSD channels to provide mobile money services to their customers. The major portion of network fee went to Grameenphone which dominates the mobile industry. Zahedul added that bKash paid Tk26 crore and Tk46 crore respectively in 2013 and 2014 to the mo-

bile operators in exchange of accessing the latter’s USSD channels. It clearly shows a remarkable increase in our contribution to the

revenue earning of telecom operator amid the growth of mobile wallet users, an industry expert said, asking not to be named. l

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Two-day int’l conference on urban poverty begins tomorrow n Tribune Business Desk A two-day international conference on the alleviation of urban poverty will begin in Dhaka tomorrow. The aim of the conference is to unearth reasons behind urban poverty and devise ways to end poverty and inequality among the city dwellers. The mega conference titled “International Conference on Urban Poverty: Challenges of Perspectives and Action” will be held at LGED auditorium on Sept 24 in Dhaka. It is the first ever major research-based large-scale event to share new city-level urban data

and push for mainstreaming a holistic agenda on urban poverty. Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), came up with the announcement in a pre-press briefing in the capital yesterday. PPRC and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in association with the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are organising event. “Bangladesh has lots of success story in alleviating rural poverty. The success is based on understanding the issues and systems of addressing the problems,” said Zillur.

Urbanisation plays a key role in economic development but there is not pictorial description of poverty in urban areas, while there is a lack of information, he said. With a population density of around 49,812 per square kilometre, Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Zillur observed that income inequality among those living in metropolitan and rural areas is sharply increasing. The researcher found three major weaknesses of current urban policy approach including lack of up-to-date urban statistics and its critical aspects.

The conference brings together national and international experts, policymakers, urban advocates, urban local governments, NGOs, development partners and other relevant stakeholders. On the first day of the conference, PPRC will launch its new publication: The Urban Spectrum: Metropolitan to Mofussil. The conference will have nine sessions – opening keynotes, concepts and indicators of urban poverty, access to services, slum realities, urban social protection, urban sanitation, urban health, low-cost housing and closing policy panel on way forward. l

Stocks stay flat amid volatility n Tribune Business Desk Stocks ended flat yesterday amid volatility as investors went for booking profits on recent gains. The day kicked off with a negative tone and moved into the green and red as the session proceeded. However, the previous day’s bullish mood subdued on the day as the DSE turnover was down about 10% to Tk555 crore from the previous session’s Tk614 crore, which was eight months high. The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, gained 5 points or 0.2% to 4,665, extending its gaining streak for the 12th straight session. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, inched 2 points down to 1,771. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, rose over 2 points to 1,120. However, the Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX was up 16 points to 8,727. Yeakin Polymer Limited debuted its trading in the bourse. The new stock jumped 218% to Tk31 a share on its offer value. It also remained the most favourite of the investors as it was the highest traded share with a turnover worth nearly Tk29 crore, accounting for more than 5% of the total DSE turnover. The large cap sectors showed mixed performances. Telecommunication gained highest 1.2% higher. Almost all other sectors like non-banking financial institutions, banks and power edged higher. On the other hand, engineering saw biggest losses of about 1% on profit booking. Food and allied sector and pharmaceuticals closed the session flat in the red. l

Business

BEPZA exceeds investment target in FY’16 n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) exceeded its investment target by US$66.36 million in Fiscal Year 2015-16, according to the Annual Performance Agreement. In 2014-15 fiscal year, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of the country was US$ 2015.20 million whereas EPZs input was US$ 404.36 million, said a release issued yesterday. US$404.36 million has been invested in the enterprises of eight Export Processing Zones (EPZs) under BEPZA from July 2015 to June 2016. In Fiscal Year 2015-16, US$110.71 million investment has been made in Chittagong EPZ, US$80.63 million in Dhaka, US$60.51 in Karnaphuli, US$54.70 million in Adamjee, US$30.18 million in Comilla, US$18.98 million in Mongla, US$15.11 million in Ishwardi and US$33.53 million in Uttara. BEPZA signed an investment agreement with 16 new companies in the last fiscal year. These companies will invest US$ 167.56 million for setting up their industrial units. l

Walton products attract visitors in Bhutan Saarc trade fair n Tribune Business Desk

Samsung brings new TV line-up including the SUHD-TV in Dhaka yesterday

SAMSUNG

Samsung launches new TV line-up n Tribune Business Desk

Samsung Electronics, a global leader in TV for 10 consecutive years, has launched its new TV line up for 2016 in Bangladesh. The new line up of TV-SUHD, Smart TV and Music TV was launched at a press conference in the capital, Dhaka yesterday. Seungwon Youn, managing director of Samsung Electronics Bangladesh, Young Woo Lee, general manager, Firoze Mohammad, head of Consumer Electronics and Mohammad Rashedul Islam, TV manager, unveiled the new TV line up for the year 2016 at the press conference. “Samsung aims to revolutionise the concept of home entertainment with beautifully designed TVs to meet the changing needs

of our consumers, depending on their lifestyle. We are introducing the best picture quality ever with Quantum Dot technology in our new SUHD range. With the introduction of these new ranges of TV, Samsung is bringing global innovations which will greatly enhance the TV viewing experience of the Bangladeshi consumers,” said Seungwon Youn, managing director, Samsung Electronics Bangladesh. The new SUHD TVs with Quantum Dot Display offers Quantum Dot Color and HDR 1000, which demonstrates ground-breaking advances in colour reproduction, brightness, contrast and details. The state-of-the-art design with the world’s first bezel-less curved TV and a new, easy and integrated Smart TV experience delivers an unrivalled entertainment experi-

ence. The new range of Smart televisions will come with a host of innovative features, catering to the unique needs of Bangladeshi consumers. The Smart TV range with Smart Interface, Smart Content, Smart Convergence and Smart Play provides the most advanced Smart TV experience. The new range of Music TVs with iconic design and integrated sound station with built-in tweeters will ensure clear and crisp sound which will elevate TV viewing experience to an entire new level. Samsung’s new TV line up will be found across all the Samsung Brand Stores and Samsung’s authorised distributor stores. They are-Transom Digital, Electra International, Rangs, Singer and Fair Electronics Limited. l

Walton, a Bangladeshi brand of electronics and home appliance, has witnessed a good response from Bhutan consumers at the 13th Saarc Trade Fair 2016 held at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu. The trade show came to an end on September 13 that started on September 8. The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) organised a six-day long expo for the second time in Bhutan to establish more B2B linkages with the Saarc nations. A total of 177 companies, including 11 from Bangladesh, 52 from India, 82 from Nepal and 37 from Bhutan took part in the expo. Walton participated in the fair with a joint venture with its sole distributor in Bhutan named “State Trading Corporation of Bhutan Ltd” (STCBL), said a press release of the company recently. Walton was the only full-fledged electronics companies in the fair, which showcased world-class glass door and frost refrigerators, Smart TV, LED TV, induction cooker, blender, LED bulb, panel light and electric switch socket. Walton created a huge buzz in the fair by exhibiting glass door and non-frost refrigerators, Smart Televisions, LED bulbs, switch-sockets, induction cooker, panel lights and blender, said the release. l

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Global equities advance on Fed decision n AFP, London

Passers-by are reflected on a signboard displaying currency signs outside a bank in Tokyo

REUTERS

Asia central bank doves flutter wings as Fed takes its time n Reuters By dallying over raising interest rates the US Federal Reserve made it easier this week for central banks in the Asia Pacific to stay dovish, with Indonesia lowering rates yesterday and Australia and New Zealand saying they could cut later. Signalling slower and fewer rate increases at its policy meeting on Wednesday, the Fed left investors feeling that any tightening would be glacial at best. Nowhere has a more ultra-easy monetary policy than Japan, where the central bank said on Wednesday it would persist with its massive asset-buying and negative rates, while at the same time shifting its policy framework to one more suited to a long battle against deflation. The stances taken by the Fed and the BoJ have renewed global demand for longer-tenor bonds. “This is supportive of rates in core emerging markets, and lowers the hurdle for emerging market central banks to ease policy,” Citi analysts said in a note. Bank Indonesia made its fifth rate cut this year, trimming its policy rate by 25 basis points to 5% to nudge economic growth higher, with inflation running below its 3-5% target. The rupiah’s gain of more than 5% against the dollar this year was another good reason for BI to cut, economists say.

Asia’s room to ease

Most of Asia has room to maintain an easing bias. Growth rates are mostly on the low side of reasonable, official rates are above zero and inflation is running below targets. Moreover, heavy reliance on exports renders Asian nations’ economies vulnerable to weak demand from China and Europe, even if the United States is buying more. And while none - except for Singapore run monetary policies that actually target exchange rates, low interest rates do help them keep their currencies competitive. Earlier on Thursday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand held steady, having already cut

twice this year, lowering its policy rate to a record low of 2%. But a high New Zealand dollar and tepid inflation - running at just 0.4% versus a target of 1% to 3% - gave the RBNZ reason to predict more easing to come. “Our current projections and assumptions indicate that further policy easing will be required to ensure that future inflation settles near the middle of the target range,” RBNZ Governor Graeme Wheeler said in a statement. “A decline in the exchange rate is needed,” he said. In some ways, what is happening in New Zealand reflects trends elsewhere. “Activity in the labour market and the broader economy has been solid, but wages and inflation continue to undershoot their target and they are worried about it feeding into inflation expectations,” Su-lin Ong, senior economist at RBC Capital Markets in Sydney. “That’s very much a global theme right now.”

Not a nutter

Australia’s new central bank governor, Philip Lowe, also held open the possibility of further cuts in rates, already at record lows, while adding that the lower rates get the less effective cuts become, in terms of boosting the economy. “Looking forward, we expect the economy to continue to be supported by low interest rates and the depreciation of the exchange rate since early 2013,” Lowe told a parliamentary economics committee. An encouraging uptick in non-mining investment and better than expected economic growth of 3.3% in the year to June, however, could mean the Reserve Bank of Australia will be in no rush to lower rates as it adopts a flexible approach to attain its inflation target of 2% to 3%. “We have not seen our job as always keeping inflation tightly in a narrow range,” Lowe said. “We have not been what some have called ‘inflation nutters’.” And while the Philippines central bank held its benchmark rate steady on Thursday, it is an odd man out in the region. l

European stock markets rallied yesterday, after solid gains in Asia, as the US Federal Reserve opted against lifting interest rates - but signalled action later this year. The Fed kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the sixth straight meeting, saying it needs to see a bit more sign of strength in the US economy. However, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the economy continues to broadly show progress. Officials indicated they foresee one rate hike before the end of 2016. “Despite there being enough to suggest a rate hike in November or, even more likely, December, the

markets were buoyed by the simple fact that the Federal Reserve opted for inaction,” said Spreadex analyst Conor Campbell. In reaction, London stocks won 1.2%, while Frankfurt and Paris each jumped about 1.9% in value. In Asia, Hong Kong added 0.4% and Shanghai rose 0.5%, as the prospect of cheap cash for longer sparked a raft of gains. Tokyo was shut for a public holiday. At the end of one of its most anticipated meetings for some time, Fed policymakers said the economy continued to improve and the argument for a rise was strengthening but more evidence of sustained progress was needed.

However, while they lowered their growth forecast for this year, the policy committee said the rebound would continue through the second half, and suggested borrowing costs could rise before the end of the year.

Dollar takes hit

The Fed news has meanwhile sent the US dollar sliding against the European single currency. “Market expectations regarding the pace and trajectory of Fed tightening have altered dramatically since the start of last year,” noted Rabobank analysts. “The change in expectations over the period have had a dramatic impact on risky assets and on the US dollar.” l

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

ECB: China and Brexit pose risks to global growth n Reuters Global growth is likely to accelerate next year but the outlook is fraught with risks, particularly from big emerging market economies including China, and Britain’s decision to leave the EU, the European Central Bank said yesterday. Global growth will motor along but the recovery will be gradual and uneven with heightened uncertainty, even as the United States, the world’s biggest economy, is expected to recover, the ECB said in a regular economic bulletin.

‘Policy uncertainty surrounding the economic transition in China could lead to an increase in global financial volatility’ The headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) are pictured in Frankfurt, Germany

“A key downside risk is a stronger slowdown in emerging markets, including China,” it said. “A tightening of financing conditions and an increase in political uncertainty could exacerbate existing macroeconomic imbalances, denting confidence and resulting in an unexpectedly strong slowdown.

The bulletin was largely consistent with the outlook presented at the ECB’s September rate meeting “Policy uncertainty surrounding the economic transition in China could lead to an increase in global financial volatility,” the ECB said. “Continued emphasis on rebalancing the economy – including reductions in overcapacity in some heavy industries and action to address non-performing loans – is

expected to result in a decline in the pace of economic growth,” it added. Although Brexit has so far had limited impact and some analysts have lifted their gloomy forecasts, the ECB warned that the worst may not be over. “The economic implications of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union could be worse than expected, increasing uncer-

China foreign expenditure tops inward investment n AFP, Beijing China invested more money abroad last year than foreign firms piled into the country, data showed yesterday, a first for the world’s second largest economy as Beijing looks overseas as part of its drive to transform its economic growth model. Overseas direct investment soared more than 18% to an all-time high above $145bn last year, exceeding the $135.6bn of foreign direct investment. This “historic breakthrough” was a result of the “enhancement of China’s comprehensive national power”, deepening cooperation, and Beijing’s strategy of encouraging Chinese firms to “go abroad” in search of growth, the government said. Chinese firms “have to make use of international resources and markets to transform and

upgrade”, the commerce ministry’s representative Zhang Xiangchen told reporters at a news conference. “We feel companies currently are keen to go abroad and actively integrate into global innovation, manufacturing and market networks.” The data was revealed in the 2015 Statistical Bulletin of China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment. China’s economy grew at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century last year, and continues to decelerated as the country faces multiple development bottlenecks. Among these are manufacturing overcapacity, insufficient domestic demand and increasing energy and resources consumption. To enhance their competitiveness, cash-flush Chinese firms have sought to acquire foreign brands, technologies and resources. l

Business

REUTERS

tainty and negatively affecting trade, business confidence and investment,” it said. Although monetary and fiscal accommodation should support the British economy, the institutional and political uncertainty surrounding the negotiations are expected to dampen domestic demand, particularly investment, even if the short-term impact has been modest, the bank said. l

Google’s bid for smarter messaging hits market n AFP, San Francisco

US internet giant Google launched on Wednesday a smart messaging app aimed at muscling into a busy market with popular rivals such as WhatsApp and Facebook’s messenger. Allo’s “smart” capabilities aims to make it easier to respond to messages and over time adjusts to users’ own style, Google said in an official blog. The app introduces Google Assistant where users just type @ google to ask the US search engine questions and have it help you directly in chats, it said. “You no longer need to leave a conversation with friends just to grab an address, share your favorite YouTube video, or pick a dinner spot,” it said. The app works on phones using Google’s Android system and Apple’s iOS. “Google Allo can help you make plans, find information, and express yourself more easily in chat. And the more you use it, the more it improves over time,” Google said. It said, for instance, the app will adjust according to whether its user’s style is usually an emoji or written response. Like other messaging apps, it has tools for personalizing chats including changing the size of emojis and a choice of stickers. Allo was unveiled by Google in May at the same time as Google Duo, an app for video calls, which hit the market last month. Google faces carving a place in a sector with already popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp. l

Writing

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Subliminal Travesty n Avinno Faruk

in wrath, but she sought to be the better person in this stance at least. Much to her displeasure, she discovered, not hurting others was causing her to hurt herself – the need to dispose of those unadulterated meditations drove her insane. Be that as it may, even after setting aside these rhapsodic episodes, there was more to the tale. Literature, she has found, is actually very personal at the end of the day – no matter how hard one strives, one does leave traces of herself behind, leaving bare her thought process and perspectives for anyone and everyone to see and manipulate. Admittedly, fiction is undoubtedly an intricate mischief after all, lacing up truths with falsities, the end results either too raw or too magical to be real. Such were the power of words. For as overrated as being in a perpetual trance is, realities should be taken with a pinch of salt as well. Nonetheless, such vulnerability was enough to make her introvert self cringe – bringing about the demise of her literary ventures. The joke was on her – where writing, so universally revered as a method of self expression, had become self limiting for her. “I have stopped writing,” she wept. l

1. Beehive

She loved it. She truly did. Weaving those flimsy, clumsy trails of thoughts into cohesive blobs, and the ensuing muted glory in the form of a minute blue thumbs up – the instant gratification that followed was like candy to a child. Amused, she sometimes found herself wondering if this truly did have a saturation point. Just like so many other things, however, she ought to have known better. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when, but at some point, the aura of it all – the sugar rush – started receding. While the “Likes” followed every status, every note, profusely, unease began to descend upon the once so coveted euphoria as she began to realise most of them didn’t actually care and understand, or worse, didn’t bother to do so. She could almost see them staring with glossy eyes, hitting this and that and scrolling on to the next with minimal comprehension. The turmoil inside her has barely reached out to them. The superficiality of it all quite successfully spurred on the gradual corrosion of self gratification online. And so, it was then that she put a stopper on it. “I have stopped writing,” she sighed…

2. An Infiltration

“Oh snap!” Her mind kept letting out such inaudible screams exasperatedly. It seemed like ages since she has had a good conversation. As rain splashed across the café windows, she sat there listening to her friend, dispensing the occasional nods and grunts to feign her presence of mind as required. The group hangouts were the worst. Is this how being a wallflower felt then? Was she too meek for all these? In retrospect, she realised it had always been thus subconsciously; she had never truly been cut out for this, but it’s only now that she grasped it. One didn’t need to be an Einstein to figure out what was going on – while she enjoyed playing the role of the listener to the other person in any given context, it was her writing which listened to her. Paper is more patient than man, she recalled reading somewhere. Anne Frank, wasn’t it? Geared with this novel piece of self enlightenment, she decided

maybe it time was to go old school: she would start carrying a diary or notebook of the sorts; all the great ones used to do that, right? It was only when after wasting copious amounts of ink it dawned on her that this wasn’t working – even leaving aside her illegible handwriting, scribbling down devoid her of the much cherished part of her creative ritual: embellishing her work with a word there, and a sentence here, or shifting an entire paragraph – in short, causing an upheaval head to toe to arrive at her final destination. Vigorously cursing technology, she was quick to note that the ubiquitous hipster notion of associating writers with typewriters may soon cease to hold. She could almost sense the elders of her clan looking down at her disapprovingly from the heavens! The very thought made her shiver. “I have stopped writing,” she whined.

3. Bereft of Sanctuary

As a matter of fact, it wasn’t as bad as it seemed – or so she had hoped in vain. In effect, she could always find a different medium to churn out those rants – a blog under an alias ought to have served just fine. The thing is, one of the pitfalls to being a writer is to be constantly aware of the resonance of being to the full brim, the profundity of which seldom plagued the commons. One constantly finds herself absorbing the eccentrics and atrocities of those around her, not even sparing herself, and dissecting and over-analysing the anomalies and analogies with equal enthusiasm. Then all these invariably leave her with this stinging urge to pen it all down and release that burden, however ungracious that may be. Why, she could have written down an entire series titled Encounters by now had she properly put her mind to it! What prevented her from doing so then? Well for starters, real

emotions deal with real people, and she was unsure if there was perchance any ethical conflict involved in voicing them out. To be sure, there was some sort of wicked delight in seeing a few people take offence and squirm

The writer is a second year student at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, and also working as a Communications Intern at The University Press Limited (UPL).

Got poetry on your mind? Fiction in your soul? Share it with us! Send your creative writing to featuresdt@gmail.com

Feature

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Countering terrorism Ensuring peace and engaging change makers in Bangladesh (Part 2 of 2)

n Siamul Huq Rabbany We are now experiencing a shift in terrorist activities and the way they operate. The new threats of terrorism that have emerged also requires a shift in the efforts to fight them, from the current reactive hard power approach to a more inclusive proactive people-oriented model. So far we have only been focusing on the ‘who’ factor, but the time has come to also study, examine and understand the ‘how’ factor. This is not only important to understand how new recruits are becoming radicalised, but to understand how to stop the growth of a conducive environment in which extremism can thrive. To win the war against terrorism comprehensively, elements that are conducive to the spread of violent ideologies must be eliminated, and engaging citizens as part of counter terrorism efforts is an integral part of this.

Engaging young citizens is crucial

Bangladesh saw a phenomenal rise in militancy last year, with the highest number of accused militants since 2005, with police records putting the number of accused at 597. From 2006 onwards, the government was able to curb extremist activities, mainly through the hard power approach by law enforcement agencies. However, the recent Holey Artisan attack has brought a new dynamics to the extremist activities in Bangladesh as well as raised serious concerns about the usual counter terrorism methods employed in Bangladesh. While there is no doubt that the traditional reactive approach is necessary to counter terrorism, the empowerment and engagement of citizens is also necessary, especially since the extremist groups are using online tools and other resources to radicalise vulnerable people and raise the sense of insecurity among the people of this country. It is evident that the terrorists are adapting in the modern world to ensure their survival. The recent attacks on minorities and the rise of new JMB are the best examples of how they have changed their strategies and operational tactics to increase the number of their supporters. However, one thing remains the same even within the changing

Photo: Bigstock dynamics – they are targeting vulnerable young citizens of Bangladesh. We now see a shift from recruiting in madrasas to English medium schools, public and private universities and universities abroad, but they are all young people who could have easily been future leaders in our society. The only solution to this worrying trend is the long term solution - a wide range of measures to educate our citizens and increase awareness about extremist ideologies, particularly among the youth, regardless of their social status, culture or education.

Youth as partners in peace

Last December, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security to recognise the potential of youth leadership. The resolution recognises the critical role of youth in promoting and maintaining peace, and calls for all communities to emphasise on young people as critical partners for peace. The time has come when we need to engage our citizens in the decision-making process against

It is evident that the terrorists are adapting in the modern world to ensure their survival

extremism, and in this process, the young population of our country can play a great role. We need to utilise the potential our young people have by involving them at both local and national levels. We consider the younger generations to be future leaders of the nation, but unfortunately it is these generations who are most vulnerable to extremism. If we do not protect our future leaders from this threat, we will collectively fail to shape a better future for all of us. Young people are already a very important social force in our country, and they have an important role to play in social development, and establishing our values and culture for the future. The terrorist groups

want to take advantage of this force, and manipulate social, economical, cultural, religious and psychological issues to use them as a source of propaganda. By doing so, they not only change the young people’s attitudes and behaviours through their ideologies; at the same time they penetrate their perception of the world and ensure that their only desire is the group’s targets and desires. But have we done enough to protect our young populations from these risks, and give them enough opportunities to bring concrete changes in society? We have to empower our youth and women, promote community engagement, strengthen local actors and improve the capacities

of media and educational institutions to counter radicalising ideologies in the long term. There is a gap between considering our young as next generation leaders and providing them with the tools to achieve this, and the extremist groups are very strategically exploiting this vacuum. Involving young people in daylong campaigns against terrorism or giving them lectures on counter narratives is not going to solve this problem in the long run, unless we constructively engage them as change makers who will decide the future of this country. We urgently need a long-term people-oriented strategy to counter radicalism and terrorism. l

The writer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bangladesh Initiative for Sustainable Future (BISF) and can be reached at rabbany.siamul@ bisf.org.bd

Event

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

'I see it is a future of endless promise' Bitopi's Digital communications director weighs in

n Nausher Rahman What are the digital marketing trends of Bangladesh now? Where is it headed?

At the moment, the dominant digital marketing trend in Bangladesh still seems to be an over-reliance on social media. Both brands and agencies have not quite explored the many other touch-points available in the entire digital marketing ecosystem. I think this trend will continue in the short-term, but we may see greater sophistication emerging in the medium term.

What are the perks and benefits to be a digital marketer in this industry?

The biggest perk of being in digital marketing is that one gets to be in a field which is fast-paced, ever changing and constantly interesting. It is certainly a lot of hard work, but there is rarely a dull moment. Also, I think it’s a great privilege to be one small foundational stone in what will soon be a towering industry.

What are the remarkable works done by Mighty Byte? Of all the great work done by

Digital marketing in Bangladesh

shaping this future, and we know that there are great things ahead in this industry for everyone involved.

What are the key factors of success in this arena?

Intelligence, hard work, analytical problem solving, hard work, common sense and hard work. Did I mention hard work?

How did you bring “Digital Marketing Conference” in Bangladesh We have the benefit of having great global relationships, both as an organisation and individually,and those were the

What are the scopes for a young graduate here?

The possibilities for a young graduate to enter this field is tremendous and exciting. He or she can enter into a burgeoning industry - one that is set to grow greatly in the coming years, at a time when the barriers to entry are still extremely low.

Who should come into this industry? What are best practices? Anyone with an abundance of common sense, an extremely strong work ethic, a mind open to learning everyday and an analytical approach to problem solving.

Mighty Byte, we are perhaps most proud of strategising, designing and developing the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ brand. To be trusted to create the brand, which holds so much of the promise of our entire country’s future is a hugely humbling experience. Also, the chance to work so closely with the machinery of government with people who have dedicated their entire lives to the betterment of the lives of millions of others. It’s a responsibility we undertake with great care and respect.

How you see the future of digital marketing in BD

The future of digital marketing in Bangladesh? I see it is a future of endless promise! We’re very glad to be playing our part in

connections which came to the fore in bringing this conference together.

What can you take away from this conference?

The main takeaways from the conference are going to be seeing and understanding how different brands in different markets have approached their marketing and business challenges. The idea is to give concrete learnings and inspiration to local brands and marketers, allowing our local industry to learn from international best practices.

What’s your secret of success?

Tons of hard work, and tons of luck! l

ith the rise in Internet penetration and accessibility to smartphones, it’s no surprise that the digital marketing industry is booming in Bangladesh. At the moment, the dominant digital marketing trend seems to be an over-reliance on social media. There is a whole digital marketing eco-system that has not been quite explored by both brands and agencies in our market. To introduce the Bangladeshi Marketing Community to the great realm of Digital Marketing and the scope of communication innovation it offers the brands, Mighty Byte and Bitopi Leo Burnett are organising “The Best of Global Digital Marketing” conference. With a great panel of international speakers sharing their experiences and discussing award winning digital marketing campaigns from around the world, the conference will cover all areas of digital marketing; including social media, mobile marketing, content marketing, Big Data and real-time marketing. If you are looking to learn and get inspired about the exciting possibilities of digital marketing, then this is the event to get into. If you are an aspiring student thinking of a career in marketing, a brand manager, an advertiser, a developer or just someone with an interest to learn about digital marketing make sure you attend. The main takeouts from the conference are going to be observing and understanding how different brands in different markets have approached their marketing and business challenges. The idea is to give concrete leanings and inspiration to local brands and marketers, allowing our local industry to learn from international best practices. The conference will take place on the 26th of September, Monday. Starting from 9am till 4:30pm at the Krishibid Institute Bangladesh. Mighty Byte and Bitopi Leo Burnett are award winning and well renowned agencies in the advertising industry. To know more about the event and register, visit: http:// best-marketing.eu/events/bangladesh/ or facebook.com/ MightyByteDhaka LOCATION: Krishibid Institute KIB Complex, 2nd Floor, Krishi Khamar Sarak, Farmgate, Dhaka – 1215, Bangladesh. l

Biz Info

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

| talks |

| win |

International Conference at MIST

Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital announces winner

A 3-day long International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Information & Communication Technology (iCTEEiCT 2016) commenced at Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Mirpur Cantonment on Thursday (22-92016). Education Minister Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid, MP graced the inauguration ceremony as Chief Guest. Lieutenant General Md Mahfuzur Rahman, Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division and Professor Dr. Saiful Islam, Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) were the Special Guests of the conference. The conference focuses on recent research, article presentations and discussions

on demanding tracks including artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, computer network and security, communications, digital signal and image processing, opto-electronics and photonics, power electronics and drives, power system and renewable energy, semiconductor device and nano-technology, software engineering, VLSI and circuits, microwave engineering, radar engineering, satellite navigation etc. It is expected that this conference will eventually build a forum of researchers, entrepreneurs, engineers and students from all over the world which will open a door to innovations and sustainable developments in Electrical, Electronic engineering and ICT which will have a significant

impact on shaping Digital Bangladesh. In this conference researchers and professionals from both academia and industry from USA, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Germany and Nepal along with Bangladesh are participating for sharing up-to-date knowledge and experience in the fields of Electrical, Electronic Engineering and Information and Communication Technology. The first conference of iCEEiCT was held at MIST in 2014. The closing ceremony of the conference will be held at General Mustafiz Multipurpose Hall, MIST on 24 September 2016. Senior Secretary of Defence Ministry, Mr Kazi Habibul Awal has given his kind consent to be the Chief Guest in the ceremony.l

| visit |

Swedish Ambassador visits Friendship’s flood response in Gaibandha His Excellency Johan Frisell, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh visited flood affected areas in Gaibandha district to see the flood relief and rehabilitation work of Friendship. He also visited other projects of Friendship in Gaibandha and Jamalpur districts. The Ambassador saw Friendship’s emergency and post-flood response providing food relief, water and sanitation facilities and distribution of agricultural saplings. He also spoke with the local villagers and heard from them about their sufferings during the recent flood and their current challenges when he visited char Dewanpara, Chinaduli union in Islampur upazilla and char Nandanpara. The Ambassador highly appreciated the work of Friendship to support flood victims to help them get back to their normal lives.

Afterwards, the Ambassador also visited Friendship’s Primary & Secondary Schools, Primary Healthcare and Family Planning projects including Satellite Clinic and Friendship Community Medic-Aides, and Friendship’s Good Governance programs in Paglar char under Arendabari

union in Phulchori upazilla. During his visit, he also went to Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital, a floating ship hospital that provides healthcare services to char communities, in Sharkerpara village of Molubir char under char Amkhowa union in Dewangonj upazilla of Jamalpur district. l

On September 21, 2016, Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital was announced the winner in the Health Enhancement category of the Asian CSR Awards 2016, among the 112 entries from 13 countries. The announcement was made at Gala Dinner of the 15th Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility at the Kempinski Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Dr Naheed Nazrul (team Leader, hospital service), Dr Mohammad Atiqullah Sayeed (program specialist, hospital service, Healthcare Population & Nutrition), Syed Wasama Doja (head of Cultural Preservation) and Ms Runa Khan (founder & executive director) from Friendship were present at the ceremony. Friendship has been working for over 14 years in Bangladesh trying to take development initiatives to the hardest to reach people. It has been able to take healthcare, education, financial assistance,

governance, disaster management, and other services to more than 4.2 million people in the northern river island and southern coastal belt area of Bangladesh. Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital (LFH) was inaugurated and started its operation on March 13, 2002, being the first floating hospital in Bangladesh. It has been the flagship project of Friendship since its inception with an aim to provide essential primary healthcare. This is the most successful and innovative model of CSR involvement of Unilever with the healthcare program for the poor and marginalised community. Friendship has established a strong three-tier model, that has already been replicated twice after LFH, namely the Emirates Friendship Hospital and Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital. This model is reliable and replicable in taking the healthcare solution to everyone.l

| hike |

DHL Express announces its 2017 rate adjustments Effective January 1, 2017 DHL Express, the world’s leading international express services provider, announced its annual general average price increase, effective January 1, 2017. In Bangladesh, the average price increase will be 4.9%. “DHL Express is focused on being the quality leader in the international time definite delivery business,” said Ken Allen, CEO of DHL Express. “Our annual price increase supports this aspiration by allowing us to invest in a truly world-class network that generates significant value for our customers. Our prices reflect both the value embedded in our service and our uncompromising long-term

commitment to service quality. In 2016, we announced a broad array of investments in our network, systems and people, committing more than EUR 800 million in capital expenditure during the year. Landmark investments include a EUR 66 million gateway in Tokyo, Japan, the launch of new automated sorts at our hubs in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, Singapore and Leipzig, Germany, and the pioneering introduction of more efficient A330-300 cargo aircraft in our European air fleet. In 2017, we will maintain this rate of investment and continue to leverage our network to make our customers successful in their international trade activities.” l

20 Editorial

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

TODAY

The logic of the playground in Syria In all these cases, people seem to have been blinded. They see the world through the lens only of a fight between two Manichaean forces PAGE 21

War-mongering on air Whatever they died for, I believe they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t die so that their death could bring the sub-continent closer to a nuclear war PAGE 22

Tahmid Hasib Khan, made it out alive against all odds. What seemed to be the luckiest day of his life soon turned out to be a bureaucratic nightmare PAGE 23

Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ DhakaTribune. The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors alone. They do not purport to be the official view of Dhaka Tribune or its publisher.

A smarter approach to rickshaws is needed

Where is the due process?

Be heard

MEHEDI HASAN

ver since the horrific Gulshan attacks of July 1, there has been a serious need for heightened security and greater discipline in the public transportation of key areas like Gulshan, Baridhara, and Niketan. While there was hope that the new initiative to introduce colourcoded rickshaws in these areas would help by bringing some much-needed order to the flow of traffic in the Niketan area, it is a matter of great regret that the number of rickshaws allocated to the area has proven to be woefully inadequate. Right now, only 50 rickshaws have been designated for the Niketan area, which is not at all sufficient for the 20,000 people who live there. The problem is exacerbated during rush hour, causing unauthorised rickshaws to sometimes enter the area, undermining the initial goal of the program. Residents deserve a better and more sustainable solution to the problem of how to get around. This is a matter of urgency, and we hope the city council will act quickly on solving the problem. It is a good sign that DNCC mayor Annisul Huq has already taken up the issue with area authorities, and is monitoring the problem so that steps can be taken to close the gap between the number of available rickshaws and their demand. It is imperative that corrupt practices do not spring up under the guise of heightened security. If outside rickshaws are indeed barred from entering the area, this standard must be applied to all outside rickshaws without exceptions being made for a select few. Bending or breaking the rules in an ad hoc manner will have the opposite effect of the intended goal of increased security and monitoring. It is also important to note that the job does not end with Niketan -- the problem of the distribution of rickshaws with respect to security must be addressed throughout the capital.

Residents deserve a better and more sustainable solution to the problem of how to get around

Opinion

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

The logic of the playground in Syria The waters have been muddied by painting Assad as a victim of US aggression The first part of the blame must be laid at the door of the US

n Azeem Ibrahim

ast week, we received news that President Assad’s regime in Syria had used chemical weapons on its people. Volunteer emergency workers in the Sukari district of Aleppo reported that Syrian forces had flown helicopters over the suburb and dropped barrel bombs of chlorine on the men, women, and children going about their business below. This is just the latest in the Assad regime’s catalogue of brutality. Last February, Assad’s air force launched a series of missiles at a field hospital. Medics rushed to find any sign of life from the rubble and pull them into an ambulance. Assad’s jets waited, returned, and then flew over the ambulance as they drove towards the hospital. They then dropped another bomb on the ambulance in which 25 civilians were killed, among them were eight medical workers. But the jets were not done yet. They flew over another field hospital and dropped another bomb. The Economist reported that Ahmed Tarakji, the president of the Syrian American Medical Society, said: “There’s no way that they didn’t know what they were doing.” This is barbarism worthy of the worst monsters of global history. It is a marked regression

in the application of the norms of war. And yet for reasons which I will come to, there is next to no prospect that Assad -- the man in whose name those bombs fell -- will appear at the International Criminal Court. The first part of the blame must be laid at the door of the United States. At the very least, the US could have enforced a no-fly zone. That, at least, would have prevented Assad’s planes dropping chlorine on his people. But instead, President Obama refused. The US could have enforced a safe area for refugees. That, at least, would have allowed the many innocent victims of Assad’s conflict to flee in safety. Instead, he dithered.

Consequences of inaction

US inaction in the face of Assad’s brutality has consequences. Last week, an umbrella group of Syrian opposition parties met in London to put together a proposal for a future for Syria without Assad. If Assad were to fall, it would be this grouping which would fill the vacuum. The less the US and its allies do to remove Assad, the less bright the future prospects. One former member of Assad’s government put it succinctly: “There was no pressure on the regime to accept this proposal. Why would Assad accept now when he did not in 2012; when the [navy] fleets of the US were in the Mediterranean and poised to strike

In all these cases, people seem to have been blinded. They see the world through the lens only of a fight between two Manichaean forces -- those of the ‘imperialist’ US and those who resist its advance

him? [The Syrian opposition] have no pressure to bring against him because there have not been any developments in their favour.” But the geo-political cover Assad receives is only half of the story. Assad is able to continue to commit his crimes in part because of the rhetorical cover provided by some journalists, political leaders, and religious leaders. They have all stepped up to the plate to sow confusion. By describing all opposition to Assad as “al-Qaeda” and painting Assad as the real victim of US aggression, they seem to have muddied the waters. Arguments for action against Assad receive less public hearing thanks to the work of their pens. John Pilger, for example, has argued that Assad’s survival is

necessary to oppose IS, writing “the only effective opponents of ISIS are accredited demons of the West -- Syria, Iran, Hezbollah.” Patrick Cockburn has written that, “there has to be some relationship between those who are attacking ISIS and the real forces on the ground.” As if the only forces capable of attacking IS were those of Assad, an assertion which would be received bitterly by the Kurdish fighters who have done the most to repel the group and who are fully aware that there has intentionally been little engagement between Assad’s forces and IS. The leader of the UK Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, also reportedly weighed in to support Putin’s and Iran’s entry into the war on Assad’s side. He even went

REUTERS

as far as claiming Iran was fully justified in assisting Assad as “they presumably feel under threat that they may be next on the Western countries’ hit list.” The Reverend Michael NazirAli, not to be outdone, flew all the way to Syria with an unsanctioned British delegation for a faceto-face with Assad himself subsequently claiming on Channel 4 News that Assad was being “unfairly demonised in the West.” In all these cases, these people seem to have been blinded. They see the world through the lens only of a fight between two Manichaean forces -- those of the “imperialist” United States and those who resist its advance. Any grouping allied with the former must be bad, and any grouping allied with the latter must, in consequence, be beyond criticism. It is the logic of the playground. By muddying the case for action against President Assad, these analysts, journalists, and politicians become the accomplices to the real suffering in Syria today. l

Azeem Ibrahim is Senior Fellow at the Centre for Global Policy, Fellow at Mansfield College, University of Oxford and Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. He tweets @AzeemIbrahim. This article was previously published in Al Arabiya News.

Opinion

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

War-mongering on air Two nuclear-armed governments being egged on for action is an alarming sign

Calling it martyrdom can be disrespectful to the dead

n Garga Chatterjee

hen two nucleararmed governments are aggressively egged on by their respective mainstream media for “action” and “reaction,” it looks like a dress rehearsal for apocalypse. Humans all over, especially those in the sub-continent, need to sit up and take notice at whatever it is that masquerades as media. After the Uri attacks, there is talk of action and retaliation in the air and even more so in the airwaves. Did the Indian Army jawans die for nothing, some ask? There is something deeply unethical in the voluntariness that is always injected in case of army deaths. It is not a sin to die of circumstances like tent burning. There is no indignity in it. By calling that sacrifice martyrdom, hence implying a more “active” death, one simply disrespects the dead. Whatever they died for (and all deaths need not be for or against something), I believe they didn’t die so that their death could bring the sub-continent closer to a nuclear war.

Many people in the subcontinent love their lives before everything else, including their administration and government. I am one of them. On the whole, English, Hindi, and Urdu media in Pakistan and India are playing a very negative role. They are war-mongering for their respective governments, in the name of nation. Pakistan media is in denial while Indian media is in blamegaming mode -- none presenting, publicly, verifiable evidence to back up their claims or refutations. Both run defense ministry and government-made claims without fact-checking, as if fact-checking was blasphemous and questioning was treasonous. Both refer to armies and governments as “our,” seriously undermining the status of the media as an independent pillar in a democratic republican setting. A small part of media in both India and Pakistan, especially the non-English-Hindi-Urdu media, is playing a saner role, but they are marginal in the setting of the socalled “national” narrative. In the Indian Union, Hindi-English television media is playing an especially irresponsible role. The

REUTERS

other day, former Chief of Indian Army, Shankar Ray Chowdhury, openly suggested raising suicide squads. Is this not incitement to violence? Is there a legal exception for ex-army folks? Does he suggest this strategy to his close relatives? Non-Hindi-English media in both countries seem to have less interest in this long drawn conflict between Delhi and Islamabad. The role of mainstream media or any non-propaganda media should be based on facts. They should also be cognisant of the fact that Indian Union and Pakistan administrations are armed with nuclear weapons with powers to destroy each other terribly and should educate their audience about the hugely destructive effects of a nuclear conflict, and that nuclear fall-outs do not respect international borders. It should also critically examine claims made by their respective armies and governments. Truth and realism should drive public opinion, not jingoism. The job of the media is not to act as unquestioning amplifiers of Ministry of Defense press briefings and government of India/ Pakistan press releases. If that were so, there would be no need

Whatever they died for (and all deaths need not be for or against something), I believe they didn’t die so that their death could bring the sub-continent closer to a nuclear war for an independent media. What hopefully separates Indian Union and Pakistan from North Korea on this count is probably this. But that separation is only half the story -- Pakistan and the Indian Union are barely separated from each other, globally ranking 133 and 147 out of 180 administrations in the Press Freedom Index of 2016. In Indian-administered Kashmir, there is an active and growing online activism scene that not only protests but also presents the world with visuals, videos, and narratives of real events of the ground that is absent from mainstream media and which the government of India does not want the world to hear. GOI has done things like bringing down web links, to removing videos, from blocking and deleting user profiles,

to threatening messages. Cyber activists are often tracked down and hounded. A few days ago, Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez was arrested after being disallowed from attending a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting abroad. After the Uri attack, a Kashmiri student was expelled from India’s prestigious Aligarh Muslim University for an “objectionable” Facebook post. Whoever thinks that muzzling dissent and fanning jingoism is some kind of a strategy clearly has forgotten Benjamin Franklin’s words: “Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security.” l Garga Chatterjee is a political and cultural commentator. He can be followed on twitter @gargac.

Opinion

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Where is the due process? How much longer will we be in the dark about Tahmid’s fate?

Why all the mystery?

RAJIB DHAR

Tahmid Hasib Khan, made it out alive against all odds. What seemed to be the luckiest day of his life when his life was spared, soon turned out to be a bureaucratic nightmare

n Rasheek Irtisam

angladesh, long been called a secular Muslimmajority nation, has seen a surge of terrorist atrocities over the past couple of months. Several secular bloggers, academics, and religious minorities have been hacked to death by radical believers. But, on the night of July 1, it was taken to a different height, when five terrorists laid siege to an upscale restaurant in the diplomatic area of the country’s capital, Dhaka. When the 11-hour bloody siege ended with the co-ordinated effort of police and army, the death toll was a staggering 29 (including 20 of the hostages). The so-called Islamic State was quick to claim the responsibility for the attack, and uploaded the pictures of the gunmen. The law enforcing agency managed to rescue 13 of the hostages from Holey Artisan Bakery on the morning of July 2. Tahmid Hasib Khan, a full-time final year student of Global Health at the University of Toronto, made it out alive against all odds. What seemed to be the luckiest

day of his life when his life was spared, soon turned out to be a bureaucratic nightmare. On the morning of July 2, Tahmid and Hasnat, along with the other survivors were taken to police’s Detective Branch office for further investigation. Hostages who survive such incidents are usually rushed to hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Not only were they denied of that treatment, police detained the duo for being present at the wrong place at the wrong time. Hadn’t they already experienced enough trauma on one night, that most of us wouldn’t go through in a lifetime? Perhaps not. They are still going through the prolonged investigation that followed afterwards, as though making it out alive was a crime itself. To make the investigation even more ridiculous, on August 4, the authorities claimed to arrest them. Most of you who closely followed the news probably know that they were never released in the first place. So why stage the drama? Is this a standard practice for the police to concoct shams to deceive the general population? What were

they trying to achieve? Mockery? During the time of his detention, Tahmid was not allowed to meet his parents, or given access a lawyer, or presented to a magistrate after the legal detention period was over. Nobody there even reminded him of his right to refuse to answer any questions in case of selfincrimination -- all these lead to a clear violation of basic human rights. Given the long history of human rights violations by the Bangladesh police, Tahmid’s parents couldn’t be absolutely sure of their son’s well-being. Their worry skyrocketed when they heard an injured Holey Artisan Bakery staff member died in police custody. “The Bangladeshi authorities have a poor track record when it comes to human rights in custody, with violations including torture and other ill-treatment, often to obtain confessions and the denial of medical treatment,” said Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director. Through the courtesy of social media, the FreeTahmid movement gained great momentum. Tens of thousands of people showed solidarity with Tahmid and demanded his release. But, when the pictures of Tahmid holding a gun surfaced over the local newspapers, people who were not up-to-date with the stories (or who simply lacked the ability to think critically) joined the bandwagon to sabotage the effort of the movement.

They flooded the page with abusive comments, demanding the arrest (or even execution) of the admins of the page, or anyone who likes the FreeTahmid page. As it appears, we live in a country where demanding justice will reward you with nothing but life threats. Finally on August 5, Tahmid was presented in front of a court. After 14 days of remand, he was sent to jail without any charges filed against him. I am no expert on law, but that doesn’t sound right. You cannot send someone to jail without any charges, or can you? When the general population of Bangladesh looks towards Western nations for democratic ideals, the government of Bangladesh has failed to embrace the two fundamental assumptions of a democracy: The trust in due process and law that safeguards the interests of all classes of people. Tahmid was supposed leave for Nepal on July 9 for a summer internship with Unicef. He has already missed that opportunity. I wonder how long it will take to complete the investigation. What if it takes several more months? How can we let the investigators rob a bright, young man’s future? Do we silently sit back and watch Tahmid’s dream of becoming a public health professional get shattered? l Rasheek Irtisam is a PhD student in finance at the University of Memphis.

24 Sport

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Mosaddek new face, Al Amin left out

TOP STORIES

BCB reveals commercial partners BCB named Munshi Enterprise as the rights holder for ticket selling and team kit while Fresh (Meghna Group of Industries Limited) and Pran Up were declared as the rights holder for official drink and beverage respectively. PAGE 25

n Mazhar Uddin Uncapped Mosaddek Hossain Saikat was named in the 13-member Bangladesh squad for the first two ODIs against Afghanistan yesterday. The 20-year old Mosaddek, who made his Twenty20 international debut earlier this year against Zimbabwe, has been a prolific run-scorer in the domestic circuit for quite some time now and it was learned that he was among the national selectors’ top choices for the squad. The Mymensingh cricketer smashed two double hundreds in first-class cricket and scored 622 runs in 14 matches at an average of 77.75 for champions Abahani Limited in the Dhaka Premier League this season. “Mosaddek has done very well in domestic cricket, which includes the longer-version tournaments, in the last two years. He did well in the DPL and we feel he is ready,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu told the media. Nannu, who leads the three-member selection committee also including Habibul Bashar and Sajjad Ahmed Shipon announced their first international squad where fast bowler Al Amin Hossain was left out due to fitness issues. On the other hand, another paceman Shafiul Islam made a comeback to the national side af-

Messi injured as Atletico hold Barca Lionel Messi of Argentina will miss the next three weeks after suffering the recurrence of a groin injury as Atletico Madrid came from behind to hold Barcelona 1-1 in La Liga at Camp Nou on Wednesday. PAGE 26

Santner, Boult share six wickets Spinner Mitchell Santner and paceman Trent Boult combined to lead New Zealand’s fightback and restrict India to 291 for nine on the opening day of the first Test yesterday. India looked set for a big first innings total. PAGE 27

Bangladesh squad for the first two day-night ODIs

Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mosaddek Hossain, Shakib al Hasan (VC), Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe bin Mortaza (C), Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain. l

THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Name Favourite shot Favourite players Idol Favourite food Best friend Favourite venue Hobby

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Manchester clubs set up Cup tie Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho and his Manchester City rival Pep Guardiola were dealt an English Football League Cup rendezvous after both teams came through their third-round ties on Wednesday. PAGE 28

ter nearly two years. Shafiul, who played his last ODI in November 2014, replaced Al Amin, who played only three ODIs since 2015. Al-Amin took 25 wickets in the DPL at an average of 23, while Shafiul took 11 wickets at 37.27. “Al Amin has not been altogether removed from the teams. We have the England series coming up too, and he is in our pool,” Nannu said. “There were a few native things that have come up about Al-Amin, plus there’s some talk about his fitness.” Pacer Rubel Hossain and leftarm spinner Taijul Islam also returned to the side after missing the ODI series against Zimbabwe last November. Mustafizur Rahman (injured), Liton Kumar Das and Kamrul Islam Rabbi were omitted from the squad. Meanwhile, the selectors are waiting to add Taskin Ahmed to the squad if the International Cricket Council clears his ban for illegal bowling action. Taskin’s bowling action test result is expected to be given out any time now.

: Mosaddek Hossain Saikat : Cover drive : Virat Kohli and Shakib al Hasan : Michael Clarke : Biriyani. With that said, Mosaddek enjoys the dish on rare occasions. : Afzal and Rakib (childhood friends) : Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur : Travelling

Holder of the record for the most number of double hundreds by a Bangladesh batsman, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat is all set to make his 50-over debut when the Tigers take on Afghanistan in the first and second ODIs.

Besides his batting talents, the Mymensingh cricketer also bowls handy off-spinners and is a fantastic fielder and will no doubt be looking to hit the ground running against the Afghans.

The 20-year old, who made the cut as the Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday announced a 13-man squad for the first two ODIs, was rewarded for scoring heavily in the domestic circuit in the last couple of years.

Dhaka Tribune Sport spoke with the excited right-hander to find out some of his favourite things. -MAZHAR UDDIN

Sport

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Troubled Windies face Pakistan n AFP, Dubai The West Indies will hope to forget their off-field turmoil and underline their status as World Twenty20 champions when they face buoyant Pakistan in a three-match series starting today. The supremely talented but troubled side have arrived in the United Arab Emirates after sacking coach Phil Simmons and without all-rounder Andre Russell, who is facing a doping hearing. The Windies are also missing flamboyant big-hitter Chris Gayle, who complains of injury problems and makes only sporadic appearances for his country. Gayle also missed the West Indies’ one-run T20 win over India in Florida last month, while Russell will front a hearing into claims he missed three drugs tests in a 12-month period, an offence which could trigger a two-year ban. Carlos Brathwaite stunned England when he smashed Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to clinch the West Indies’ second World T20 title in April. Brathwaite will now captain the side in UAE while Joel Garner replaces Simmons. l

Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi in action during training in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday

BCB reveals commercial partners n Tribune Report Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday named Munshi Enterprise as the rights holder for ticket selling and team kit while Fresh (Meghna Group of Industries Limited) and Pran Up were declared as the rights holder for official drink and beverage respectively. The declaration of the various BCB partners was made in a press conference held in Mirpur’s Shere-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. During the ceremony, the BCB

also declared Meena Bazar as the team kit partner and Shohoz.com as the ticket selling partner for Bangladesh’s three-match one-day international series against Afghanistan. Shaheen Khan, chief executive officer of Meena Bazar, Nayeem Yakub, head of business of Munshi Enterprise Limited, Kazi Inam Ahmed, chairman, marketing and commercial committee, BCB, Maliha Quadir, chief executive officer of Shohoz.com, Asif Iqbal, executive director, marketing of Meghna Group of Industries, Mohammad

Anisur Rahman, chief operating officer of Pran Beverage Limited were present in the ceremony. The maiden bilateral series between Bangladesh and ICC Associate side Afghanistan is set to begin this Sunday with the first ODI at SBNS. The second and third ODI will also be held at the same venue. Ticket prices for the Bangladesh-Afghanistan ODIs are as follows: Grand Stand North/South - Tk1000, VIP Stand - Tk500, Shaheed Mushtaque/Jewel Stand Tk300, North/South Stand – Tk150 and Eastern Stand - Tk100. l

NATIONAL CRICKET LEAGUE 2016/17

Chittagong, Sylhet eye better finishes n Tribune Report The 18th edition of the country’s premier first-class competition gets underway this Sunday at four different venues – Rajshahi, Bogra, Khulna and Sylhet. The NCL, set to be played in two tiers for only the second time ever, will be contested by Barisal, Dhaka Metropolis, Khulna and Dhaka in the top tier while the bottom tier features Rajshahi, Rangpur, Chittagong and Sylhet. Here, Dhaka Tribune Sport previews two teams – Chittagong and Sylhet – ahead of the tournament opener in two days’ time.

Chittagong

Bangladesh Cricket Board marketing and commercial chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed (C) addresses the media in a press conference in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Chittagong have lost their charm in Bangladesh’s cricketing circuit and the side’s results in the previous season of the NCL were a burning example; the port-city outfit had finished fourth in the second tier. In six matches, the side won none, lost two and drew the other four to finish with 38 points. The two-tier system was introduced last year to encourage competition among the eight teams. But it had hardly any impact

on Chittagong, a side which still carry the “lazy” tag. Team practice was irregular in the last couple of seasons and it is no different this year. Chittagong have a pretty similar squad to that of last season with experienced opening batsman Nafees Iqbal suffering from eye infection. The side include potentially talented youngsters like Irfan Sukkur and Yasir Ali. The duo though are yet to prove their mettle and will no doubt eye a productive campaign this time around.

Sylhet

With a single win and three draws in six matches, Sylhet finished seventh in the 17th NCL. The team had failed to do justice to their potential last season but with new and young players coming in this year, the side are ambitious of being promoted to the top tier. The north-eastern city boast the likes of freshly graduated Under-19 wicketkeeper-batsman Zakir Hossain and young off-spinner Shahanur Rahman while veteran campaigners Alok Kapali, Rajin Saleh and Enamul Haque Jr will boost the side’s prospects. l

Sport

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Messi injured as Atletico hold Barca n AFP, Barcelona Lionel Messi will miss the next three weeks after suffering the recurrence of a groin injury as Atletico Madrid came from behind to hold Barcelona 1-1 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Ivan Rakitic headed Barca into the lead just before half-time, but Angel Correa slotted home on the hour mark just seconds after Messi limped off to hand Atletico a deserved point. Madrid continue to lead Barca by three points at the top of the table with Atletico a further point back in fourth. Sevilla, who beat Real Betis on Tuesday, remain in second place. “To lose Lionel Messi means football loses and we lose,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique. “Now we have to look for other solutions. With Leo we are much stronger, but without him we are still a strong team.” Messi is set to miss Barca’s next three games at Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo in La Liga and Borussia

Real lose chance to break record n Reuters Real Madrid’s 100 percent start to the La Liga season came to an end as they drew 1-1 at home to Villarreal on Wednesday, halting their joint record run of 16 straight league wins. Captain Bruno Soriano gave Villarreal the lead on the stroke of halftime with a boldly chipped penalty after Sergio Ramos had handled in the area, although the Real captain made amends by heading in the equaliser in the 48th minute. Real remain top of La Liga on 13 points but failed to seal a new record of consecutive wins, having equalled the 16 straight victories set by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in 2010/11 on Sunday.l

Moenchengladbach in the Champions League, as well as Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay. The five-time World Player of the Year missed Argentina’s last qualifier in Venezuela earlier this month due to a similar injury. Barca’s stellar front three of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar had struck 10 times in their last two games, but were kept largely quiet by Atletico’s typically rock-solid defence. Messi had the first effort on goal, but his fierce effort was comfortably handled by Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal. The hosts had to wait until four minutes before the break to seriously threaten again when they took the lead. Atletico momentarily switched off as a corner from the left was played short to Andres Iniesta and his cross was powered home by the late arriving Rakitic. However, Barca’s joy was shortlived, first by a double injury blow and then Correa’s leveller.l

POINTS TABLE 1

Sevilla

Barcelona

Atletico

Las Palmas

2-1

Sporting Gijon

Hugo Mallo 66, Aspas 87-P

Cop 80-P

1-1

Real Madrid

Villarreal

Ramos 48

Bruno 45+1-P

1-2

Granada

Athletic Bilbao

Carcela 44

Raul Garcia 15, Laporte 77

4-1

Real Sociedad

Las Palmas

Willian Jose 1, 53-P, Vela 22-P, Zurutuza 35

Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and Villarreal’s Nicola Sansone in action during their Spanish Liga Santander match at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday REUTERS

Balotelli fires Nice

POINTS TABLE

Celta Vigo

REUTERS

Nice’s brilliant start to the season continued when Mario Balotelli struck another double as they sank Monaco 4-0 in the Azurean derby to go top of Ligue 1 on Wednesday. The Italian striker, who scored twice on his debut earlier this month, found the back of the net either side of the interval after Paul Baysse’s opener. Alassane Plea rounded off the scoring to put Nice on 14 points from six games. Monaco suffered their first league defeat of the season and now lie third on 13 points, behind Paris St Germain on goal difference. P W D L GD Pts Girondins Nice 6 4 2 0 7 14 de Bordeaux Paris SG 6 4 1 1 11 13 are fourth on Monaco 6 4 1 1 5 13 12 points after a 3-0 win Bordeaux 6 4 0 2 3 12 at Metz on Toulouse 6 3 2 1 4 11 Wednesday. l

L GD Pts

LA LIGA

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi sits on the pitch injured against Atletico Madrid during their Spanish La Liga Santander match at Camp Nou Stadium on Wednesday

n Reuters, Paris

P W D Real Madrid

LIGUE 1 Bastia

0-0

Nancy

Metz

0-3

Bordeaux

Malcom 36, Laborde 71, Thelin 76-P

Nantes

0-0

Saint-Etienne

Lyon

5-1

Montpellier

Fekir 37-P, 57, Tolisso 42, 71, Cornet 75

Nice

Sanson 4

4-0

Monaco

Baysse 17, Pléa 86, Balotelli 30, 68

Angers

2-1

Ketkeophomphone 12, Ndoye 54

Guingamp

1-0

Caen Karamoh 71

Lorient

Briand 63-P

Rennes

3-2

Sio 41, Grosicki 86-P, Hunou 88

Marseille B. Gomis 44-P, 50

Bayern carve out two-point lead n Reuters, Munich Champions Bayern Munich eased past Hertha Berlin 3-0 on Wednesday to open up a two-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga and inflict the first defeat for their opponents after three straight wins this season. Bayern gave Hertha no chance, with Arjen Robben scoring on his league comeback from injury last season after goals from Franck Ribery and Thiago Alcantara. The two teams were the only ones with a per-

fect record but Bayern ran roughshod over Hertha from the start. “This was our best game of the season so far,” Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. “I am very satisfied. “We had key players back in the team with Robben and (Jerome) Boateng. They did not have any problems.” The hosts could have scored twice in the opening three minutes with both Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller missing their point-blank chances. l

Tana 56

1-1

Barcelona

Atletico Madrid

Rakitic 41

Correa 61

POINTS TABLE P W D Bayern Munich 4

Cologne

Dortmund

Frankfurt

Hertha Berlin

L GD Pts

0 0

BUNDESLIGA Bayern Munich

3-0

Hertha Berlin

Ribery 16, Alcantara 68, Robben 72

Leverkusen

0-0

Augsburg

Schalke

1-3

Cologne

Huntelaar 36

Werder Bremen

Osaka 38, Modeste 77, Zoller 84

1-2

Hajrovic 12

RB Leipzig Werner 6

Mainz Malli 87, De Blasis 90+2

1-1

M’gladbach Johnson 85

Sport

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Muguruza romps into Tokyo QFs n AFP, Tokyo

QUICK BYTES Date-Krumm targets 2017 return at 46 Former world number four Kimiko Date-Krumm is targeting a return to the court next year, having last featured in the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open in January. Japan’s Date-Krumm, who will turn 46 next week, has been plagued with injuries since she made her comeback in 2008, after initially retiring in 1996, and is recovering from knee surgery she underwent in April. “I have been told it will take a year (to fully recover from the operation) and it’s just a case of how much more or less time it will be than that,” Date-Krumm told reporters in Tokyo. “Everything has gone well up to this point and it has not put limitations on my daily life. As an athlete, you have to condition muscle and I want the injury to properly heal.” –REUTERS

Falcao to spend night in hospital after clash Colombia forward Radamel Falcao will spend the night in hospital after suffering a knock to the head in a Ligue 1 match on Wednesday. The Monaco striker was caught in a sandwich between goalkeeper Yoann Cardinale and defender Paul Baysse just before half-time in the 4-0 defeat at Nice. “Radamel was caught in a sandwich and stayed on the ground with head pain for some time,” said Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. “He’s gone to hospital for tests.” He didn’t appear for the second half and went to Princesse Grace Hospital for scans. Due to head trauma protocols, Falcao must remain in hospital overnight. –AFP

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX 12:40AM Spanish La Liga Real Betis v Malaga

STAR SPORTS 2 12:16PM German Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund v Freiburg

TEN 2 12:05AM French Ligue 1 Toulouse v PSG

CRICKET TEN 3 10:00PM West Indies Tour of Pakistan 1st T20I

Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chairman Akram Khan announces Walton as the title sponsor of the forthcoming 18th National Cricket League in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. Walton will sponsor the first-class competition for the next three years and provide the jerseys of all the eight teams MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza exacted revenge for a shock early exit at the US Open by thrashing Anastasija Sevastova to reach the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals yesterday. The Spanish world number three, beaten in the second round by Sevastova in New York earlier this month, spanked the Latvian 6-3, 6-3 to storm into the last eight in Tokyo. Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich upset US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova, the world number six, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Japanese teenage sensation Naomi Osaka. Elsewhere, Poland’s Magda Linette battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva and will next face Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. l

Santner, Boult share six wickets to restrict India n Reuters, Kanpur Spinner Mitchell Santner and paceman Trent Boult combined to lead New Zealand’s fightback and restrict India to 291 for nine on the opening day of the first Test yesterday. At 154 for one, India looked set for a big first innings total but after Santner claimed three top and middle order wickets, Boult (3-57) wreaked havoc with the second new ball to peg back the hosts at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium. Rather unsurprisingly, New Zealand’s three spinners bowled bulk of the overs to share five wickets among themselves on a typical

sub-continental track which had little for the pacemen. Ravindra Jadeja (16) and Umesh Yadav (eight) will return today looking to take India, who went into the match with four bowlers to accommodate an extra batsman, at least past the 300-run mark. Earlier, Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay gave the hosts a decent start after skipper Virat Kohli had opted to bat in India’s 500th Test. Rahul’s last four innings across formats had yielded two centuries and a fifty and the right-hander, chosen ahead of Shikhar Dhawan, dominated his 42-run stand with fellow opener Vijay. The 24-year-old hit four bound-

aries, and a six off Mitchell Santner, before getting a faint edge to wicketkeeper BJ Watling in the left-arm spinner’s second over. Cheteshwar Pujara (62) then joined forces with Vijay (65) to prop up the innings, the duo adding 112 runs for the second wicket and rarely looking in discomfort. They brought up their individual fifties in successive overs before Santner had Pujara popping a simple return catch. After 11 overs of toiling on an unresponsive pitch, Neil Wagner struck a body blow when he banged it short and induced Kohli (nine) into attempting a pull shot early in his innings, only for the

right-hander to top edge a catch to Ish Sodhi. India-born Sodhi dismissed Vijay just before tea with Watling holding on to another faint edge as New Zealand claimed three important wickets for 80 runs in the second session to halt India’s progress. Batting at six, Rohit Sharma made a fluent 35 but could not fully convince he can replicate his limited-overs success in the longest format. Ravichandran Ashwin made 40 but his team will expect him to make a greater impact with his off-spin bowling in conditions that should suit him. l

1ST TEST, DAY 1 INDIA 1ST INNINGS L. Rahul c Watling b Santner M. Vijay c Watling b Sodhi C. Pujara c & b Santner V.Kohli c Sodhi b Wagner A. Rahane c Latham b Craig R. Sharma c Sodhi b Santner R. Ashwin c Taylor b Boult W. Saha b Boult R. Jadeja not out Mohammed Shami b Boult U. Yadav not out Extras (b5, lb1)

R 32 65 62 9 18 35 40 0 16 0 8 6

Total (9 wickets; 90 overs)

291

B 39 170 109 10 36 67 76 2 18 2 11

Fall of wickets 1-42 (Rahul), 2-154 (Pujara), 3-167 (Kohli), 4-185 (Vijay), 5-209 (Rahane), 6-261 (Sharma), 7-262 (Saha), 8-273 (Ashwin), 9-277 (Shami) Bowling Boult 17-2-57-3, Wagner 14-3-42-1, Santner 20-2-77-3, Craig 24-6-59-1, Sodhi 15-3-50-1

STAR SPORTS 1 10:00AM New Zealand Tour of India 1st Test, Day 2

New Zealand’s BJ Watling and Martin Guptill appeal in vain for the wicket of India’s Rohit Sharma REUTERS

Sport

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Manchester City’s Aleix Garcia Serrano (3R) scores their second goal against Swansea City during their EFL Cup third round tie at Liberty Stadium on Wednesday

LEAGUE CUP 1-2

Fulham

Bristol City

Piazon 14

Wilbraham 45, Abraham 90

1-3

Northampton

Man United

Revell 42-P

Carrick 17, Herrera 68, Rashford 75

1-2

QPR

Sunderland

Sandro 60

McNair 70, 80

Southampton

2-0

Crystal Palace

Austin 33-P, Hesketh 63

1-2

Stoke

Hull

Arnautovic 24

Mason 45, Henriksen 90+1

1-2

Swansea Sigurdsson 90+3

Tottenham

Man City Clichy 49, Garcia 67

5-0

Gillingham

Eriksen 31, 48, Janssen 51-P, Onomah 65, Lamela 68

West Ham

1-0

Accrington

Payet 90+6

SERIE A Bologna

2-0

Sampdoria

Verdi 45, Destro 50

Atalanta

0-1

Palermo Nestorovski 89

2-1

Chievo Rigoni 21, Castro 41

Empoli

0-2

Sassuolo Defrel 28

Inter Milan Icardi 10, 17

Genoa

0-0

Napoli

Juventus

4-0

Cagliari

Rugani 14, Higuain 34, Alves 39, Ceppitelli 84-og

Pescara

0-0

Torino

Roma

4-0

Crotone

El Shaaraway 26, Salah 37, Dzeko 48, 57

Udinese Zapata 26, Danilo 45

2-2

Fiorentina Babacar 30, Bernardeschi 52-P

Manchester rivals set up Cup showdown n AFP, London Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and his Manchester City rival Pep Guardiola were dealt an English Football League Cup rendezvous after both teams came through their third-round ties on Wednesday. United won 3-1 at third-tier Northampton Town to ease some of the pressure building on Mourinho following three consecutive defeats, while holders City prevailed 2-1 at Swansea City. Tottenham Hotspur were rewarded with a trip to Liverpool after crushing Gillingham 5-0 and West Ham United will face Chelsea after scraping past fourth-tier Accrington Stanley. “We deserved to win,” Mourin-

ho told Sky Sports after goals from Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and substitute Marcus Rashford took his side into the fourth round. Mourinho, speaking before the draw had been made, added: “It was difficult, as I was expecting, but we were totally in control for the 35 minutes and then for the last 45 minutes. Mourinho, who felt that Northampton’s Jak McCourt should have been sent off for a rash challenge on Memphis Depay, did not attend his postmatch press conference. He made nine changes to the side beaten 3-1 at Watford on Sunday, with Chris Smalling and captain Wayne Rooney the only players to keep their places. Rooney started up front, for the first time since last season, and squandered an early opportunity by miscuing

from Ashley Young’s cross. United went ahead in the 17th minute after Northampton goalkeeper Adam Smith was penalised for picking up a back-pass. Rooney’s shot from the ensuing

FIXTURES West Ham Man United Arsenal Liverpool Bristol City Leeds United Newcastle Southampton

v v v v v v v v

Chelsea Man City Reading Tottenham Hull City Norwich City Preston North Sunderlan

free-kick hit the wall, but Carrick swept the rebound into the top-left corner from the edge of the box.

REUTERS

Rooney then saw a goal ruled out for offside, but Northampton gave United a scare when Kenji Gorre clipped the bar in the 38th minute and within four minutes the home side were level. After Rojo, Fosu-Mensah and Schneiderlin all spurned chances to clear, Daley Blind tripped Sam Hoskins and Alex Revell stroked the resulting penalty past Romero. Mourinho waited only 10 minutes in the second half before turning to the bench, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rashford replacing Fosu-Mensah and Depay. Another Smith error allowed United to seal victory, the goalkeeper hesitating as a long ball bounced towards him, which allowed Rashford to steal in and lash the ball into the vacant goal.l

Juve go top, Napoli held n Reuters, Rome Champions Juventus returned to the top of Serie A with a 4-0 home rout of Cagliari on Wednesday, while former leaders Napoli dropped to second after being held to a goalless draw at Genoa. First-half efforts from Daniele Rugani, Gonzalo Higuain and Dani Alves and a late own goal from Luca Ceppitelli helped Juve ease to their fourth win of the season and up to 12 points, one ahead of Napoli on 11. Inter Milan beat Empoli 2-0 away after a first-half double from Mauro Icardi to go fifth on 10 points, while Roma jumped to third, also on 10, after thrashing Crotone 4-0. Juve were criticised after their loss to Inter on Sunday and boss

Massimiliano Allegri made six changes to his team, with record signing Gonzalo Higuain restored to the starting lineup. However, it was defender Rugani who opened the scoring with a poacher’s finish. Higuain did get on the scoresheet in the 34th minute when he fired home the rebound after Storari had blocked Miralem Pjanic’s effort.l

POINTS TABLE

P W D L GD Pts

Juventus

Napoli

2 0

12 11

Roma

Chievo

Inter Milan

Bangladesh cricketers inaugurate ‘Kabab Hut’, adjacent to Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, on Wednesday. National players Shamsur Rahman, Sohrawardi Shuvo, Marshal Ayub and Dollar Mahmud jointly own the restaurant COURTESY

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Sway to and fro (4) 3 Season’s yield (4) 7 Monkey (3) 8 Inadequate (5) 11 Counterpart (4) 12 Whinny (5) 13 Divine messenger (5) 15 Scold (4) 18 Prevaricated (4) 19 Waterway (5) 20 Permission (5) 21 Church recess (4) 23 Teaching periods (5) 24 Sheltered side (3) 25 Refuse of grain (4) 26 Expensive (4)

DOWN 1 Scoundrel (6) 2 Alter (6) 4 Uncooked (3) 5 Narcotic (6) 6 Female swan (3) 9 Heckle (6) 10 Sesame (3) 11 Prosper (6) 14 Crab’s claw (6) 16 Reluctant (6) 17 Rubber (6) 19 Rodent (3) 21 Vestment (3) 22 Briny (3)

Downtime

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 9 represents B so fill B every time the figure 9 appears. You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares. Some letters of the alphabet may not be used. As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

MONDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Showtime

Konal ties the knot

n Showtime Desk Popular singer Somnur Monir Konal had no idea what would happen within a span of 30 minutes. It was supposed to be just a homely discussion between two families. One is obviously Konal’s and the other family belongs to a journalist of a national daily, Monzur Kader Zia. There is no room for guessing games now because families melt

at the discussion of marriage. Konal and journalist Zia got married on September 21 in a secluded environment in the presence of very close family members. As Konal’s parents live abroad, the decision was haltered for the last six months. Just before Konal’s father’s flight back, the two families decided to meet and suddenly, they agreed the marriage would take place.

Amirul Islam, TV and literature personality of Channel I mentioned Konal calls him Amirul Baba. In a social media post Konal says, “Abbu, Ammu and Amirul Baba had a quick decision of our marriage. And now as a result, I am happily married.” About life partner Zia Konal added, “Zia is my friend, but now I have got him for a lifetime. He is mine forever. And it is locked!” l

Emon and Ridy paired up for Paris-er Chithi

Indian journalist calls to boycott Fawad Khan

n Showtime Desk

n Nazia Lopa

A TV drama series written by Faruk Hossain, who recently went missing at sea, is all set to be filmed in Paris. Titled Paris-er Chithi, the drama series casts Emon and the Shera Nachiye winner Ridy in the lead. To take part in the shooting, the actor reached at the French capital on Wednesday. Filmmaker Swapan Ahmed directs the 32-episode drama serial. The shooting of the drama will take place at several residents, restaurant, fashion house and community centre located in Paris from September 23 to 17 days onwards continuously. Sohel Khan plays a supporting role in the drama along with Emon and Ridy. Moreover, three Bangladeshi expat girls living in Paris and businessman Sabbir Ahmed will also appear in it. Paris-er Chithi will air on Channel i. l

Seems like India and Pakistan will never forget the war. No matter if it’s at the border, in a playground or at the cinema. Recently in a rather bizarre response to the attack at a military base in Indianoccupied Kashmir, an Indian journalist has urged Bollywood to ban Fawad Khan. Kolkata based journalist Soumyadipta Banerjee took to twitter on Tuesday calling for the film industry to boycott the Pakistani actor. “Ban Pakistani artists the same way they have banned you. This is not the time to promote culture,” he said, while calling for Bollywood to unite against Pakistan. “It’s time for Bollywood to stand with the jawans of this country and ban Pakistani actors like Fawad Khan. Please respond to #UriAttack,” he further added. Along his remarks, other journalists have also now written

openly to Fawad. They have clearly said, “Go back to Pakistan.” At the end of the letter they added, “Take care and let us know when you are getting your air tickets to Karachi done. We plan to give you a grand farewell.” But Bollywood has not responded to this yet. According to reports, Fawad Khan has now paired up with Salman Khan recently. Salman, who is currently busy wrapping Kabir Khan’s Tubelight, will take a call to begin producing Juganbandi or Nitin Kakkar’s movie, only after his latest one nears the finishing line. After Ae Dil Hain Mushkil, the actor will be seen in Raat Baaki opposite Katrina Kaif, followed by Salman Khan Films’ next with Nitin Kakkar if everything goes right. Rolling of the film will be done next year itself, as early as possible with the dates available for the actor. l

Shahed lands a Tollywood role n Showtime Desk Bangladeshi actor Shahed Sharif Khan lands a role in a Tollywood film titled Senapati. The small screen star sets to feature in a Tollywood venture for the first time, which is directed by Arnab Riingo Banerjee. In the film, Shahed shares screen with Tollywood stars like Riya Sen and Parambrata Chatterjee. The actor already left Dhaka to join the filming while the film went to floor on Thursday. The film Senapati, a twopart fictional biopic where underworld, intrigue, honour will come alive on screen, has shades of Godfather and Mahabharata weaved into one. However, the story is original and intriguing. The story flows through the cities of Kolkata, London

Looking for each other

Actor Daniel Radcliffe opened up this week about his role in the film Imperium, where he plays an FBI agent who goes undercover as a racist skinhead to infiltrate a white supremacist group. And he thinks Hollywood is undeniably racist. The Harry Potter actor went on to point out various issues with diversity in the film industry beyond just race. Radcliffe explained that he also believed it was difficult for

Apurba and Momo are lost for some reason. They are not lost in a forest or in a desert. They have lost themselves somewhere on earth, and now are looking for each other. This is the beginning of the music video. Recently, singer Minar has sung a song which has its own video, which was released on September 18. It has quickly become a great hit among audiences. Basically, this song was prepared for a telefilm,

titled Feelings that aired this past Eid; the music video is like an extended story version. The song “Khoj” says all about the feeling of the telefilm in musical way. Minar said, “We are so happy to see audience’s positive feedback about the song, Thanks to Apurba and Momo for Cordial Corporation.” The song has been written by Snehashish Ghosh, music arranged by Rezwan Sheikh. “Khoj” has been released on CMV’s YouTube channel. l

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

X-Men: Days of Future Past Star Movies 6:40pm The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants. Cast: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) HBO 7:40pm When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect their home. Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Willaim Fichtner

Radcliffe thinks Hollywood is racist n Showtime desk

n Showtime desk

and Bangkok. About 16 years ago, Shahed first caught wide-attention starring in a drama directed by Arnab Riingo Banerjee and now this project after 16 years apart proves that the director still sees Shahed in a position to play a vital role in his big screen venture. l

Showtime

gay actors to come out publicly out of fear of being typecast. After recently starring in films like Swiss Army Man and Now You See Me 2, the young actor explained that he’s really enjoyed being able to tackle different roles and expand his acting abilities “We like to think of ourselves as being a very, very progressive industry, but we have been lagging behind in all kinds of areas,” Radcliffe added at the end of the conversation. l

Due Date WB 2:33pm High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child’s birth on time. Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan

Guardians of the Galaxy Zee Studio 1:00pm A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe. Cast: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper Happy Feet Two Movies Now 5:45pm Mumble’s son, Erik, is struggling to realize his talents in the Emperor Penguin world. Meanwhile, Mumble and his family and friends discover a new threat their home -- one that will take everyone working together to save them. Cast: Elijah Woods, Robin Williams, Pink

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

ECONOMIC ZONE INVESTORS TO GET DUTY EXEMPTION ON IMPORTS PAGE 12

MOSADDEK NEW FACE, AL AMIN LEFT OUT PAGE 31

Car-free road in Banani by March n Shohel Mamun

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq has said at least one road will be announced as car free for a day in Banani area by March. He made the statement while addressing a programme on World Car Free Day at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka yesterday morning. Dhaka celebrated World Car Free Day for the first time, along with other cities around the world with a government initiative for the first time aiming to promote the improvement of mass transit and reduce pollution. He said: “A road in Banani will be announced as car free for a day within March. We will start with a small road near Banani market and people will only be able to walk on the road on that day of the week. “No car will be allowed on the street during that time.” He, however, said the same system will gradually be introduced in Mirpur, Mohammadpur and Gulshan area. “Around 50 cities of the world has made car free day, so why we cannot,” he added. He said: “Paris recently has been

Two people ride the bicycle in Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue yesterday as part of observing for the first time the World Car Free Day along with other cities around the world SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN observing a car free day every Sunday.” “We will also develop mass transit by adding 3,000 new buses to Dhaka’s streets, he added. Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), a wing of Road Transport and Highways Division

(RTHD) initiated the celebration with a day-long programme at Manik Mia Avenue with the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and 40 more government and private organisations. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader inaugu-

rated the festival as chief guest. People at the celebrations voiced their concerns about air and noise pollution in the city. The celebrations had a festive mood with events such as cycling, kite flying, painting, badminton, chess and basketball. l

Son confesses parents’ militant involvement n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu Tahrim Qadri alias Rasel, 14, son of the militant who killed himself during Azimpur raid earlier this month, gave confessional statement yesterday before a magistrate admitting his parents involvement in militants activities. He was produced before a court in connection with a case filed under the Anti-terrorism Act with Lalbagh police station. Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Ahsan Habib, recorded the statement after investigation officer of the case Ahsanul Haque, also assistant commissioner of CTTC unit, produced the Rasel, son of Tanvir Qadri, 39, before the court. The court recorded the statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). After recording Rasel’s statement the court sent him to the National Juvenile Development Centre at Tongi. Sub-Inspector Md Rakib Hossain, general recording officer of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, confirmed the matter. l

5 Gulshan cafe attackers, pizza chef buried n Tribune Desk

The five terrorists, killed in a commando operation at a Spanish restaurant in Gulshan, and its pizza chef, killed during the attack on July 1, were buried yesterday at Jurain graveyard as their relatives did not collect the bodies. Armed with AK22 rifles, pistols and machetes, the five youths linked to militant group New JMB, attacked Holey Artisan Bakery and killed 23 people including 17 foreigners and chef Saiful Islam Chowkidar on July 1. They were killed in a commando operation the next morning. The five are – Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Khairul Islam Payel, Shafiqul Islam Uzzal and Meer Saameh Mubasser. After the operation, police released photos of Saiful, as a suspect, and four attackers. On Monday, DMP’s Coun-

ter-Terrorism and Transitional Crime (CTTC) unit Chief Monirul Islam said that Saiful was still a suspect in the case. The bodies were handed over to the police by the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Thursday noon, said Inter Service Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) spokesperson. Earlier, the police authorities contacted Anjuman Mufidul Islam to bury the bodies. The five were buried at the Jurain graveyard in the afternoon, Anjuman Mufidul Islam Duty Officer Ruhul Amin said. Meanwhile, a CTTC source said they were informed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that chemical test reports of the attackers had not found the presence of Captagon or any other stimulator in their blood. The report is yet to reach CTTC unit. It was earlier suspected

that the brutality shown by the terrorists might be due to the effect of drugs that would make them resistant to fatigue and fear, and remove any form of empathy. The CTTC officials said this result raises the possibility of an alternative method to brainwash which could be far more effective than Captagon. So far, one of the survivors, Hasnat Reza Karim, has been shown arrested and remanded in the case. A Dhaka court sent another survivor, Tahmid Hasib Khan, to jail after remand. The alleged mastermind behind the deadly attack, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, was killed in a police raid in Narayanganj on August 27 along with his two associates. The police are now looking for the coordinator of the attack, Nurul Islam Marjan, and arms suppliers and financiers. l

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